Revanth Reddy warns of North-South divide; writes a letter to PM Modi, fellow Southern CMs

In an open letter sent Tuesday, Reddy warned that a "pro-rata" increase to 850 seats would penalise states for successful population control, proposing instead a "Hybrid Model" that rewards economic contribution and developmental performance.

Reddy warned that the proposed pro-rata increase in Lok Sabha seats would "irreversibly distort" India's federal balance.

In an open letter sent on Tuesday, Reddy argued that a purely population-based expansion would severely penalise southern states for their successful decades of population control and human development.

Reddy has reached out to his counterparts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Puducherry, urging a united southern front against the "North-South divide" in political representation.

"The southern states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Kerala, over the past several decades, have consciously adopted policies aimed at population stabilisation, improved public health, and higher human development outcomes. These efforts were undertaken in alignment with national priorities and have contributed significantly to India's overall progress," he said.

Reddy also wrote to Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Puducherry N Rangasamy, citing similar concerns and urged southern states to oppose the move.

Calling for these states to support his proposal of 'Hybrid Model', he stated that it would ensure no state is "penalised for progress", while "maintaining democratic principle of representation", and maintain a fair voice for all states and regions in national governance.

The letter comes just 48 hours before a special three-day sitting of Parliament (April 16-18), where the Union Government is expected to move the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy proposed a "Hybrid Model" for Lok Sabha seat expansion as an alternative to the Centre's current pro-rata population-based plan.

As an alternative to the proposed 850-seat model, the Telangana CM proposed a "hybrid model" that allocates half the seats based on population and the other half based on performance criteria like GSDP, aiming to protect the representation of progressive states.

"We can follow what the Hon'ble Supreme Court, in landmark cases on the issue of reservations versus merit, has said - split halfway, 50% quota and 50% merit," he explained.

"Since you are proposing to increase existing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 seats, half of this new number can be done on a pro rata basis. The remaining half must be done based on economic contribution (GSDP), and other performance criteria," he added.

Emphasising that this matter must be addressed through broad-based consultations and consensus-building, he requested an all-party meeting to deliberate on the issue.

"Bharat's strength lies in its unity amidst diversity. It is essential that decisions of such consequence reinforce this unity, rather than inadvertently strain it. I remain hopeful that as a country, our legislative platforms and democratic forces can arrive at a framework that is fair, balanced, and reflective of the aspirations of all regions of our country," he said.

"Progress should not be penalised, and demographic expansion should not be rewarded... We are tired of paying taxes and then saying 'salaam' in Delhi," said Revanth Reddy, Telangana CM.

The Chief Minister emphasised that Women's Reservation, National Delimitation, and Seat Expansion are distinct issues that the BJP government is "mischievously" trying to interconnect.

"Regarding the Women's Reservation Bill, I state in unequivocal terms that the Indian National Congress fully supports the Women's Reservation Bill. Kindly immediately implement it for the Lok Sabha, as is, with the current 543 seats, and even for all State Assemblies. Political empowerment of women is not merely a legislative reform but a moral imperative of our polity," he wrote.

Reddy urged the government to implement the 33% Women's Reservation immediately within the existing 543 seats, rather than waiting for the 2029 polls or a seat increase.

He asserted that there have been delimitations previously in the nation without changing the number of seats and only changing the boundaries of constituencies within states, suggesting that the country can undertake that route.

Reddy flagged the proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 seats to be done using a pro rata basis as the "real contentious issue"

"I again emphasise that these three issues are distinctly separate and not connected. We totally support the reservation of 33 per cent seats for women, and will also support delimitation without increasing the number of seats," he explained.

He claimed that such a proposal to increase the Lok Sabha seats on either the population or pro rata model is not acceptable to many states, among them, southern states.

"I wish to bring to your notice our serious concerns regarding the proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats, which, if done on a pro rata basis, is fraught with dangers for the country," he said.

Citing the 1970s population control emphasis, Reddy argued that rewarding higher population growth with more seats, ignoring economic contribution, causes an irreversible federal imbalance. He warned of a systemic power shift, urging a "hybrid model" and immediate, separate implementation of women's reservation.

Going forward in the letter, he claimed that under the present proposal, southern states would be disadvantaged and politically unempowered. "The consequence of a pro rata model is not merely a statistical adjustment; it will result in a systemic shift in political power," he added.

He claimed that the proposal would also lead to "political injustice over and above continued financial and policy discrimination".

"This effectively translates into a scenario where progress is penalised, and demographic expansion is rewarded," he wrote.

He noted that boundaries can be redrawn within states to account for local population shifts without changing the total inter-state seat allocation.

Framing it as a question of equity, fairness and integrity, rather than numbers, he said that the framework that overlooks the southern states' contribution to the national exchequer "risks creating a perception of systemic imbalance, with serious negative implications for national unity."

Reddy concluded by calling for an all-party meeting and the formation of an expert committee, asserting that national unity depends on a framework that is "politically, and not just arithmetically, equitable."

The special sitting of the budget session will discuss amendments to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 and the proposed Delimitation Bill. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged all political parties to support the proposed amendment bill, expressing confidence that by 2029, women will have stronger representation and greater rights in legislative bodies. (ANI)