Andhra CM Naidu slams DMK, Congress for 'misleading South' on delimitation

Defending the proposed amendments in the Women's Reservation Bill and addressing concerns over delimitation, Naidu accused opposition parties of misleading South India and blocking reforms for decades.

Campaigning for NDA candidates in Coimbatore, Chandrababu Naidu came out strongly in support of 33% reservation for women in legislatures.

He alleged that Congress and its allies have consistently opposed the Women's Reservation Bill since 1996, calling them "anti-reform forces" that delayed justice to women for nearly three decades.

Naidu said the Narendra Modi-led central government is committed to ensuring greater representation for women by increasing Lok Sabha seats and reserving 33% for them.

Naidu dismissed fears that South India would lose representation, stating that a proposed 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats would benefit all states equally.

He explained that South India's current 130 seats could rise to around 195, with Tamil Nadu increasing from 39 to 59 seats and Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 38.

However, he sharply criticised opposition parties for demanding a fresh census-based delimitation in 2026-27.

According to Naidu, such a move would actually harm South India due to its success in population control, reducing its proportional share in Parliament.

He blamed Congress and its allies for pushing this demand and warned that they would be responsible for any loss to southern states.

Naidu recalled that during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure, he had opposed using updated census data for delimitation, which led to the freezing of seats based on the 1971 Census to protect southern states.

He said the current proposal ensures no state loses representation, while expanding overall seats

With delimitation and women's reservation emerging as key political flashpoints, Chandrababu Naidu's remarks signal a sharper NDA push to corner the opposition ahead of the upcoming elections. (ANI)