Even as a national debate continues over the Central government’s proposal for the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, the “hybrid model” suggested by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has emerged as a key topic of discussion in media circles.
According to Revanth Reddy, while northern states function as the country’s “political capital,” southern states act as its “economic engine.”
He argued that delimitation based solely on population, or a uniform 50% increase in seats for all states, would unfairly penalize southern states that have significantly contributed to India’s economic growth.
To address this, the Chief Minister proposed an alternative formula: of the 273 additional seats under consideration, 50% should be allocated based on population, and the remaining 50% based on states’ economic performance and growth rates. He called for a nationwide debate on this proposal.
Expressing concern over projections, Reddy noted that delimitation could potentially add 208 more seats to northern states, thereby reducing the electoral influence of southern states in determining Lok Sabha majorities.
He warned that such an imbalance could disrupt national unity and the federal balance between regions.
At the same time, he urged the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, while advising caution on delimitation, noting that there is time until 2028 to undertake a consultative process involving all stakeholders.
Revanth Reddy also accused the Government of India led by Narendra Modi of pushing a delimitation framework that could disadvantage southern and smaller states.
He pointed out that southern states had effectively implemented family planning policies, while population growth remained higher in northern regions.
Highlighting potential disparities, he said that if each state’s seats are increased by 50% as proposed, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan would see a sharp rise in representation.
“This could widen the Lok Sabha seat gap between northern and southern states from the current 210 to 412, with northern states potentially holding 620 seats compared to 195 in the south,” he said.
According to an analyst, Revanth Reddy’s proposal to adopt a hybrid model that gives 50% weight to economic performance is a strong suggestion and could encourage states to improve on the economic front.
“However, the Modi government may not agree, as it may prefer its own approach, which could strengthen the dominance of the Hindi belt,” the analyst added.
