Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 27 : Claiming the future delimitation process as a 'disadvantage' to Southern states, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday termed Amit Shah's assurance to Southern states of any disadvantage in the delimitation process as not 'trustworthy.'
The Karnataka CM said that Shah's statement rather appears to be aimed at creating confusion in the southern states.
"Going by the home minister's vague remarks, it seems that either he lacks proper information or there is a deliberate intent to disadvantage the southern states, including Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh," he said.
"If the Union Government genuinely wishes to ensure fairness for the southern states, the Home Minister must clarify whether delimitation will be based on the latest population ratio or the current number of Lok Sabha seats," the Karnataka CM stated.
He said that it is evident that if delimitation is carried out based on the latest population ratio, it will be a severe injustice to the southern states. "To prevent such unfairness, previous delimitation exercises were conducted using the 1971 census as the basis, following constitutional amendments."
"Over the past 50 years, southern states have effectively controlled population growth while progressing significantly in terms of development. Meanwhile, northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh have failed to regulate population growth and continue to lag in development," he added.
"As a result, if delimitation is based on the latest census, southern states, including Karnataka, may see a reduction or stagnation in their number of Lok Sabha seats, while northern states will gain more seats. In either scenario, the southern states will bear the loss. Is the Home Minister unaware of this?" the Karnataka CM questioned.
He further said that several studies have been conducted on the impact of Delimitation.
"According to these studies, if delimitation is based solely on the latest census (2021 or 2031), the number of Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka is likely to decrease from 28 to 26. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh's seats would drop from 42 to 34, Kerala's from 20 to 12, and Tamil Nadu's from 39 to 31," he said.
"Meanwhile, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh would increase from 80 to 91, Bihar's from 40 to 50, and Madhya Pradesh's from 29 to 33. If this is not injustice, what is?" he said.
He further demanded a fair approach towards southern states, saying, "This is completely unacceptable. If southern states, including Karnataka, are to be treated fairly in the delimitation process, either the 1971 Census must be used as the basis, or the number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased proportionally, without relying solely on population figures."
"However, looking at the extraordinary enthusiasm shown by Narendra Modi's Union Government for delimitation, it appears that the real intent is to punish the people of the southern states for resisting his party's dominance," he claimed.
"It is becoming increasingly evident that every decision taken by the Union Government--whether it is the unfair distribution of tax revenues, injustice in GST and disaster relief funds, the imposition of a burdensome education policy, or amendments to UGC regulations--is intended to punish Karnataka," he added, citing UGC regulations.
"To further silence the voices of southern states in Parliament and prevent them from raising their concerns at the national level, the Union BJP Government has now taken up the new weapon of delimitation," he added.
He further said that discussions are already underway with neighbouring southern states to wage a comprehensive fight against these injustices. In the coming days, a coordinated movement will be launched in collaboration with all affected states.