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2 min readHyderabadMar 25, 2026 05:20 AM IST
Amid several southern states’ opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao accused Congress of spreading “propaganda” by saying that delimitation would be conducted solely on the basis of population.
Speaking for the first time on the issue, Rao said on Tuesday that delimitation is a constitutional process that takes place after every census. Once the census is completed, a Delimitation Commission is constituted to carry out the redrawing of constituency boundaries, he said.
“The propaganda being spread by the Congress party, claiming that delimitation is conducted solely on the basis of population, is misleading. If it were indeed based exclusively on population, the southern states would end up with a significantly lower number of seats. In those states, despite the number of voters in each Assembly constituency being relatively low, the total number of seats remains high,” he said.
Similarly, in states like Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, the number of Assembly seats is high even though their populations are relatively low, he said, arguing that “asserting that delimitation is determined solely by population is completely incorrect”.
He also said that there was “absolutely no scenario” within the delimitation process under which the number of seats allocated to southern states would decrease. “On the contrary, representation for all regions will increase in a fair and equitable manner,” he said.
Rao said the increase in seats is carried out on a proportionate basis, taking the existing Assembly segments as the foundation. For instance, future seat redistribution will be determined based on the number of Assembly segments currently contained within a specific Lok Sabha constituency. This process is executed through a balanced approach rather than being driven solely by population figures, he said.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
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