Jagan seeks PM Modi’s intervention to ensure fair delimitation process
22 Mar, 2025 11:44 IST|Sakshi Post
YSRCP President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in the process of delimitation.
Urging the Prime Minister to exercise extreme caution while initiating the delimitation exercise, Jagan pointed out that the matter has the potential to have a far-reaching impact on not only the political representation of some of the States but also the sentiments of vast sections of the country's population.
Pointing out that the Southern States’ share of the population has reduced over the 40 years between 1971 and 2011, the former Chief Minister noted that the share might have dropped even further in the last 15 years, highlighting their sincerity in implementing the population control programme, which was once a national priority.
He drew the Prime Minister's attention to Article 81 (2) (a) of the Constitution of India, which mandates that seats in the House of the People will be allotted to each State in a manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the State is, so far as practicable, be the same for all the States, and highlighted the potential significant erosion of Southern States' participation in national policy and legislative process if the delimitation process is conducted based on population in States.
Further, Jagan stressed that it was imperative to amend the Constitution to give effect to such a proportionate increase in seats for each State. This, he said, would ensure that no State would have to encounter any reduction in its representation in the Lok Sabha, in terms of the share of seats allocated to the State in the total seats.
In conclusion, the former Chief Minister sought PM Modi's support in the matter and noted that the issue, if not resolved, could disrupt the social and political harmony in the country.
Jagan’s letter comes at a time when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is chairing a meeting in Chennai with representatives of 14 political parties from seven States, demanding the Centre ensure a fair process for delimitation.
Stalin’s DMK had invited Jagan also to the meeting. The YSRCP President sent a copy of the letter to DMK through Rajya Sabha MP YV Subba Reddy.
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