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TDP Leader Says 50% Seat Hike Benefits South, Dispels North Fears

Telugu Desam Party State President Palla Srinivas Rao asserts that the proposed 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats will benefit southern states uniformly, countering fears of a northern bias. He clarifies the increase is not solely population-based, using Andhra Pradesh's potential seat gain as an example. The Delimitation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha after a division vote saw 251 in favor and 185 against. Concurrently, a special Parliament session is underway to pass an amendment for implementing the women's reservation bill from the 2029 elections.

Key Points: Delimitation Bill: TDP's Palla Srinivas Rao on South India Benefits

  • 50% uniform seat increase for all states
  • Benefits for Andhra Pradesh cited
  • Opposition forced division on Bill introduction
  • Special Parliament session for women's reservation amendment
2 min read

50% increase in Lok Sabha seats will benefit southern states as well: TDP's Palla Srinivas Rao on Delimitation Bill

TDP's Palla Srinivas Rao states the 50% Lok Sabha seat increase will uniformly benefit southern states, addressing concerns over population-based delimitation.

"Irrespective of the population, an increase of 50 per cent seats will definitely be beneficial for Southern Indian states. - Palla Srinivas Rao"

Visakhapatnam, April 16

Telugu Desam Party State President and Gajuwaka MLA, Palla Srinivas Rao, on Thursday said the proposed delimitation exercise providing for a 50 per cent increase in parliamentary seats would benefit southern states as well and is not based solely on population.

Speaking to ANI on the proposed Delimitation Bill, the TDP state president said concerns that northern states would gain disproportionately were misplaced.

"Irrespective of the population, an increase of 50 per cent seats will definitely be beneficial for Southern Indian states. Although some states in Southern India are raising objections, thinking that the number of seats in the North are going to increase in large numbers, I don't think so," he said.

Rao added that the provisions of the Bill clearly state that parliamentary representation would increase uniformly across states.

"If they have gone through the Act, especially the Bill they have brought today, it clearly states that in every state, 50 per cent of Parliament seats are going to be increased. So, it is not on the population basis," he said.

Citing the example of Andhra Pradesh, he said the state currently has around 25 Lok Sabha seats and could gain nearly 25-26 additional seats after the proposed increase.

"Now, for example, we have around 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, and we will get another 25-26 seats--nearly 50% of Parliament seats in Andhra Pradesh," he added.

The Delimitation Bill, 2026, along with the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after the Opposition pressed for a division against the move to introduce three Bills, instead of a voice vote.

The Opposition members in the Lok Sabha had pressed for a division against the move to introduce the bill. As per the final division, there were a total of 251 AYES and 185 NOES out of the total 333 votes.

With the 251 AYES majority, all three Bills, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, were introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the government has convened a special sitting of Parliament from today to April 18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The government has been seeking opposition support for passing the amendment bill to implement the women's reservation bill from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls on the basis of the 2011 census.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
I'm skeptical. The bill says 50% increase per state, but what about the total Lok Sabha strength? If northern states with higher populations get the same percentage increase, their absolute number of new seats will still be much higher. The math needs to be transparent.
S
Suresh O
Finally, a voice of reason from the South! We need to move beyond this North vs South narrative. A larger Parliament can mean better governance and more localized attention. Hope other southern leaders also see the potential benefit.
A
Ashley H
Interesting perspective. As an observer, the key seems to be whether the increase is truly uniform. If it is, it could stabilize federal relations. The division vote shows it's contentious, but the government has the numbers.
K
Karthik V
The timing is everything. Linking this to the Women's Reservation Bill implementation from 2029 based on the 2011 census is clever politics. More seats + women's quota could really change the face of our Parliament. Let's see how it plays out.
M
Meera T
Respectfully, Mr. Rao's statement feels a bit simplistic. Yes, AP may get more seats, but will the political weight shift northwards in terms of deciding the PM and major policies? That's the real concern for southern states. The devil is in the details.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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