Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the concern of the southern States that any delimitation based only on population would reduce their representation in Parliament. Mr. Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party is a key constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP at the Centre.
“I am 100% confident in the Prime Minister’s wisdom. He will work with everybody and then take forward [the delimitation exercise],” he said.
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Mr. Naidu spoke to The Hindu at his private residence in the city on a wide range of issues as he completes the first year of his third term as Chief Minister that started on June 12, 2024. Mr. Naidu had played a critical role in 2001, in the consensus Constitutional amendment to delay the inter-State redistribution of parliamentary representation for 25 years, until 2026. The NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in power then and Mr. Naidu was a key partner then too.
“That time also... because of the sentiment [of the Southern States] it was done… That time, we thought, in south India, we were able to control population… that is good. Now north India will control population. Today, we have realised population is an asset, not liability. So north India has more population. They have done a good job…” Mr. Naidu said, explaining the 2001 decision and the present situation. “…we have to keep our sentiment intact. [Regarding] delimitation, appropriate policy will come. They will work it out. That was our concept at that time also [in 2001]. This time also it will happen,” he said. Asked whether the present NDA government was as sensitive as the Vajpayee government in this regard, Mr. Naidu said: “...100%. They will do that. The Prime Minister is very clear that he wants to keep national interest… as most important.…”
