Revanth to take part in TN CM Stalin's meeting in Chennai against delimitation

Hyderabad:Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is set to leave for Chennai on March 22, Saturday, to participate in a meeting against the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population.

The meeting, convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin aims to bring together leaders from non-BJP ruled states and other parties opposing the proposed delimitation.

This marks the first collective effort by chief ministers to deliberate on the implications of the delimitation exercise, which is feared to significantly impact the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha. The concern among southern states stems from fears that they could lose a substantial number of parliamentary seats to northern states if delimitation is carried out based on the upcoming national census, expected in 2026.

The meeting will witness the participation of several key leaders, including the chief ministers of Telangana, Kerala, and Punjab, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik, P.V. Midhun Reddy of the YSR Congress from Andhra Pradesh, Congress Kerala state chief K. Sudhakaran, and representatives from the Trinamool Congress, IUML, and the Punjab unit of the Congress.

Last week, Stalin had written to multiple political party leaders and chief ministers across the country, urging them to oppose the proposed delimitation exercise. Following his appeal, senior DMK ministers and MPs met Revanth Reddy and extended an invitation on behalf of Stalin to join the discussions in Chennai.

Revanth Reddy has been a vocal critic of the Centre's proposed delimitation process. He has consistently voiced his opposition, accusing the BJP of using delimitation as a tool to politically undermine the southern states. He has alleged that the BJP, having failed to establish a strong foothold in southern India, is now attempting to diminish the region’s political significance through this move.

"Delimitation is going to be a limitation for southern states," Revanth Reddy remarked, asserting that the BJP-led central government is engaging in a deliberate conspiracy to curtail the political influence of the South. He further stated that Telangana would firmly oppose any delimitation exercise based on the 2026 Census.