Terming the recent delimitation exercise a dangerous move, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reiterated his argument that blanket increase of 50% seats as the sole criterion for delimitation would disproportionately benefit northern States and warned that this could affect the integrity of the nation, with southern States feeling marginalised in their own country.
To overcome this, Mr. Reddy proposed a ‘hybrid model’ for seat increase, suggesting that of the proposed increase in the seats, 50% seats should be distributed on a pro-rata basis and the remaining 50% based on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), thereby rewarding States contributing more to the national economy.
Understanding the delimitation exercise | Explained
“Reward the Southern states for their contribution to the country’s economy. We will not agree to losing out politically and be marginalised in the country while continuously contributing huge to the nation’s growth,” he said at a press conference held in Hyderabad on Monday (April 13, 2026). “This is not a BJP’s issue but the issue of all the political parties and the people.”
Mr. Reddy recalled that delimitation exercises in 1967 and 1976 increased Lok Sabha seats, but a freeze was later imposed, an approach shaped during the tenure of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to maintain regional balance.
