Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday firmly dismissed concerns that southern states would lose representation in the Lok Sabha after the proposed expansion and delimitation exercise, calling such claims 'completely false' and 'misleading'.
Intervening in a debate in the Lok Sabha on bills related to amendments in the women's reservation law and the constitution of a delimitation commission, Shah asserted that the exercise would, in fact, strengthen representation across regions.
He said the combined Lok Sabha seats of the five southern states would rise sharply from 129 to 195 — an increase of nearly 50% — once the total strength of the Lower House is expanded to 816.
ALSO READ : PM Modi Hails Women's 33% Quota Bill: 'Historic Moment, Should've Implemented 25-30 Years Ago'
Shah also underlined that the region's overall share in representation would see a marginal uptick, moving from 23.76% to about 23.87%, countering fears of relative decline.
Detailing the proposed distribution, he said Karnataka's tally would increase from 28 to 42 seats, Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 38, Telangana from 17 to 26, Tamil Nadu from 39 to 59, and Kerala from 20 to 30.
Clarifying the timeline, Shah noted that the women's reservation provisions would come into force only from 2029, and elections until then would continue under the existing framework.
ALSO READ : Attention Mumbaikars! City May Face 10% Water Cut As Levels In Dams Drop Amid Rising Temperatures
While the legislation mentions that Lok Sabha strength could go up to 850, he said the actual figure has been pegged at 816 — exactly 50% higher than the current strength.
Rejecting opposition concerns over possible manipulation, the Home Minister said the proposed delimitation framework mirrors earlier laws without any बदलाव. “There is no change, not even a comma or a full stop,” he said.
He also dismissed allegations linking the timing of the women's reservation move to upcoming elections, including in West Bengal, and took a swipe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, suggesting he need not worry about future polls in Uttar Pradesh.
On the caste census issue, Shah reiterated that the government has already decided to conduct it alongside the population census, while noting that the ongoing household enumeration does not capture caste data.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
