Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah warns that Lok Sabha seat reduction in southern states due to delimitation will hurt opposition representation
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday expressed fears “If (Union Government initiated) delimitation of Lok Sabha seats, is based on latest census, then, Karnataka’s seats may get reduced from 28 to 26 or stagnation in the Lok Sabha seats.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party led Union Government has taken to the new weapon of Delimitation of Lok Sabha seats to reduce Lok Sabha seats in southern States and raise the Lok Sabha seats in some of the BJP dominated States. The aim to reduce Lok Sabha seats of southern States is to prevent Lok Sabha members of opposition parties from raising their concerns at the national level.
Over the past 5 decades, the Chief Minister pointed out to Amit Shah, southern States have effectively controlled population growth and progressed significantly in terms of development.
Meanwhile, he said, the northern States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have failed to regulate their population growth and continue to lag behind in development. As a result, if Delimitation is based on the latest census, southern States may reduce in Lok Sabha or remain unchanged.
Not only Karnataka, he said, even southern States of Andhra Pradesh would have Lok Sabha seats dropped from 42 to 34, Kerala from current 20 to 12 seats and Tamil Nadu from 39 to 31 seats and doubted the enthusiasm of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Delimitation of Lok Sabha seats while the “Real intent is to punish the people of southern States for resisting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from expanding its base.”
In a statement, Siddaramaiah several studies have been conducted on the impact of Delimitation and as per these studies, if Delimitation is based solely on the latest census (2021 or 2031) the number of Lok Sabha seats in BJP dominated Uttar Pradesh would increase from 80 to 91, Bihar would have 50 seats from present 40 seats and Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 33 seats.
The Karnataka Chief Minister wanted if southern States are to be treated fairly in the Delimitation process, then the 1971 census must be used as the basis or the number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased proportionally in southern States including Karnataka.
He wanted a clarification from Union Minister of Home Amit Shah over Delimitation of Lok Sabha seats whether the Delimitation will be based on the latest population ratio or on the current number of Lok Sabha seats.
