Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has directly questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's support for the Union government's proposed delimitation plan, arguing that it poses a significant threat to the political representation of southern Indian states.
Tharoor's Salary Analogy Highlights Disparity
Tharoor took to social media to explain his concerns, using a compelling analogy to illustrate how a seemingly proportional increase could still lead to an unequal distribution of political power. Addressing Naidu, Tharoor wrote, "Naidu ji, let’s try a thought experiment. Say your salary is 2 lakhs and your driver’s is 20,000. You announce a 50% increase for everybody. Your salary is now 3 lakhs and your driver’s is 30,000. The percentage or proportional increase is the same — but aren’t you much better than you used to be?"
He further elaborated on the implications for parliamentary seats: "That’s what your fellow Southern CMs are concerned about. You don’t think there’s any difference between UP’s 80 MPs today versus Kerala’s 20 MPs, if it tomorrow becomes 120 vs 30? Some proportionate difference, huge difference in political weight — with 90 more UP MPs against 10 more Kerala MPs. Is that of no concern to you at all?"
Naidu Backs Delimitation, Citing Proportionality
Naidu, a key ally in the BJP-led NDA government, had earlier indicated his support for the reintroduction of the Delimitation Bill, which proposes a 50% proportional increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states. He asserted that the government's intention was clear from the outset to maintain the proportion of seats and that the opposition had unnecessarily politicized the omission of this provision from the original Bill.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister emphasized that the proposed 50% increase would address concerns from southern states about losing political influence due to their successful population control efforts. He also noted changing political dynamics in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, suggesting these could pave the way for the Bill's passage.
Historical Context of Delimitation Freeze
Naidu also recalled his role in the previous delimitation freeze under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001. He stated that he had advocated linking the exercise to the 1971 Census to prevent southern states from being penalized for declining population growth, a freeze that was set to expire after 2026. However, he now believes a fresh approach is necessary.
The Constitution (131st Amendment Bill) 2026, which sought to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and link delimitation to the 2011 Census, was previously defeated in Parliament due to a lack of the required two-thirds majority. Naidu's recent comments mark the first confirmation from an NDA leader about the government's intention to reintroduce these crucial legislative packages.