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Congress leader BK Hariprasad has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of trying to reduce the representation of southern states in Parliament and assemblies through delimitation and said the saffron party was resorting to such tactics as it was struggling to win seats in the southern region.
Speaking to ANI, Hariprasad said, "Since the BJP and RSS can't do anything in the south, they want to reduce numbers there and cause discrepancies in Parliament and Assembly. We won't accept it. In line with the government's policies and rules regarding family planning, our population went down. But they don't follow these rules. So, why do you want to impose all of that on us?" The proposed delimitation exercise has faced strong opposition from several political parties, particularly in the southern states. Parties have raised concerns that the move could reduce representation for states that have successfully controlled population growth. The Telangana Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution expressing serious concerns over the impending delimitation exercise, highlighting the lack of transparent consultations with key stakeholders. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, called for a fair and inclusive approach in conducting the delimitation process, urging extensive consultations with state governments, political parties, and all concerned stakeholders. "This House expresses its deep concern on the manner in which the impending delimitation exercise is being planned, without any transparent consultations with the stakeholders," the resolution stated. On March 22, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin chaired the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Chennai over the proposed delimitation issue. The meeting was joined by Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and other prominent leaders. After the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee on delimitation, a resolution was unanimously adopted which asserts that any delimitation exercise carried out by the Centre should be done "transparently" and after discussion and deliberation with all stakeholders. (ANI)
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