Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has strongly opposed the proposed delimitation exercise, terming it a “political re-engineering” that could undermine the voice of Southern states in national politics.
In a post on X, Shivakumar raised serious concerns over the reported proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850. He warned that such a move would disproportionately impact Southern states, which have effectively controlled population growth, while benefiting regions with higher population expansion.
“This is not delimitation. This is political re-engineering at the cost of Southern states,” he said, adding that the proposal would “systematically reduce the voice of the South” and effectively punish states that have focused on governance and development.
Shivakumar clarified that the Congress party fully supports Women’s Reservation, stating that the initiative was a result of the vision and commitment of Sonia Gandhi. However, he stressed that its implementation should not be linked to delimitation or any expansion of parliamentary seats.
He further accused the Union Government of attempting to use women’s empowerment as a cover to push what he described as an unfair political agenda. He also questioned the timing of such a major structural change, alleging that pushing it during election periods without proper consultation or transparency raises serious concerns.
Highlighting the principles of federalism, Shivakumar asserted that India’s strength lies in balance and fairness, not domination or manipulation. He emphasized that Southern states would stand united to protect their political representation and constitutional rights.
“The Southern states will speak in one voice and defend the true spirit of federalism. We will not allow the South to be politically marginalised,” he said.
The remarks come amid growing debate over the future delimitation exercise and its potential political and regional implications across the country.
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