- BJP faces resistance from southern states over proposed delimitation exercise
- Delimitation may increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 from current 543 by 2029
- Southern leaders oppose population-based seat allocation, citing fairness concerns
As the debate over the proposed delimitation exercise intensifies, the BJP finds itself facing growing resistance from southern states, raising concerns that the issue could deepen the political divide between them.
The Vindhyas are emerging as a political fault line for the BJP, raising fears that the party could be branded as a "northern party" in the South. Notably, the Vindhya or Vindhyachal range - stretching from Gujarat to Bihar - has long served as a major geographical, climatic and cultural divide, separating the North's Indo-Gangetic plains from the southern Deccan Plateau.
Leaders of Southern states argue that a population-based delimitation would unfairly benefit northern states, where population growth has been higher, while penalising states that have performed better in population control and development.
Lok Sabha seats will be increased to up to 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise to be carried out based on the last published census.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy launched the first major political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, criticising the Centre's delimitation plan. In a post on X, Reddy warned a population-led increase in Lok Sabha seats would "punish" states that effectively controlled population growth.
He also wrote to chief ministers of southern states, calling for a united stand.
Reddy proposed a hybrid model for delimitation, suggesting that half the seats be allocated based on population and the other half on economic performance. Directly targeting PM Modi, he cautioned that ignoring southern concerns would trigger "strong resistance."
Leaders from southern states, mostly from parties outside the BJP-led NDA, argue that states such as Uttar Pradesh stand to gain a significantly higher number of seats through delimitation. In contrast, states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala would see only marginal increases. They describe the proposal as "rewarding failure and punishing progress," pointing to the South's stronger record in population control and development.
The controversy has brought together several southern leaders, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, all of whom have echoed Revanth Reddy's concerns. Stalin on Wednesday announced a state-wide black flag agitation tomorrow against the proposed delimitation exercise and warned the Centre of consequences and a "heavy price" if it did not heed to Tamil Nadu's voice.
Even the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana has taken a firm stand on the issue. Party leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) warned that the move could trigger a "strong people's movement across Southern India," adding that the region would not remain a "mute spectator" if its political voice was weakened.
The lone exception has been the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), led by Chandrababu Naidu. While calling for fairness in the delimitation exercise, the TDP has adopted a cautious approach and avoided directly confronting the BJP-led Centre, of which it is a partner.
In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK is using the issue to strengthen its Dravidian and anti-BJP narrative. In Kerala, where the Left is in power, the controversy is likely to further limit the BJP's political expansion. In Puducherry as well, the issue could create internal pressure within the NDA.
With influential leaders such as MK Stalin, Revanth Reddy and Pinarayi Vijayan taking firm positions, and the TDP striking a careful balance, delimitation has emerged as a crucial political test for the centre, particularly in the southern states.
