Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged the central government's policies could increase the divide between northern and southern states. He alleged the Centre is incorrectly linking the Women's Reservation Bill with delimitation and creating confusion by claiming the Opposition is not cooperating. He said both issues should be addressed separately.
In response, the Telangana unit of the BJP accused Reddy of displaying "loyalty beyond reason" to his party's central leadership at the cost of national interest and progressive reforms. The party suggested that the Congress leadership in Telangana should adopt a constructive approach and support reforms that promote inclusivity and empowerment, particularly for women, rather than politicising critical national issues.
In his criticism, the Telangana chief minister said delimitation based solely on population would unfairly affect southern states as they had successfully managed population growth, but many northern states had seen higher increases.
He said increasing parliamentary seats by 50 per cent on a population basis would significantly benefit northern states, while diminishing the influence of southern states. Reddy emphasised that southern states contribute substantially to the national economy, jobs and revenue, and it would be unfair to penalise them for controlling population growth.
Such a move could widen the political divide between north and south regions and create a long-term imbalance in representation, he said, adding smaller states like Delhi and Punjab could lose political significance.
Reddy suggested the Centre avoid any hasty decision that might deepen regional divisions and instead hold detailed discussions with all stakeholders including all party meet and consultations with states before proceeding.
On women's reservation, Reddy said the Congress has always supported empowerment and accused the BJP of delaying implementation by linking it to the 2026 census.
Telangana BJP spokesperson NV Subash termed Reddy's comment as "misleading and opportunistic," and "'such arguments are being used as a smokescreen to oppose women's empowerment."
"Instead of openly admitting their discomfort with women's reservation, leaders like Revanth Reddy resort to baseless regional narratives," Subash said.
He pointed out flawed comparison between northern and southern states, emphasising that population-based representation is a constitutional and democratic principle.
"Can Telangana be equated with a state like Uttar Pradesh, which has a population several times larger? Even comparisons with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, or Andhra Pradesh must be viewed in a proper demographic context," he added.
Subash dismissed the chief minister's argument that population-based delimitation could weaken national unity as "selective reasoning," asserting that national interest must not be sacrificed for political convenience.
"The NDA government's initiatives aim to ensure fair representation and strengthen democratic institutions across India. Raising unfounded fears about regional imbalance only undermines these efforts," the BJP leader said.
