Hyderabad: Revanth Reddy proposed hybrid model in the delimitation of parliament constituencies instead of the pro rata model of the Union Government.

This could be an ideal solution which seeks to balance representation with contributions, he said. The Union Government’s pro rata model would be highly determinantal and inimical to interests of Southern States. He urged Southern States Chief Ministers and Union Territory of Puducherry to unitedly resist the Centre’s moves to push a ‘pro rata model’ to increase Lok Sabha seats.

He wrote separate letters to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy sharing his deep concern regarding the proposed move to increase number of Lok Sabha seats. He also said that this the pro rata method has far-reaching implications for southern states and for the federal balance of the country.

Revanth wrote that those all in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill (without linking it to increase of seats) or delimitations only want to change boundaries of Assembly constituencies within states. The real contentious issue is the proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 seats using a pro rata basis. We will and must totally oppose the increase in seats using pro rata method, he added.

In the letter addressed to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, he said that under the proposed model, the Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry together may increase from 40 to around 60 seats, whereas Uttar Pradesh may rise to around 120 seats. This expands the political gap from 40 seats to 60 seats.
In his letter to Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, he said that Under their proposed model, Karnataka’s Lok Sabha seats will increase from 28 to around 42. The pro rata method therefore effectively means that the voice and influence of your State in Parliament will diminish in relative terms, even as its contribution to the nation continues to grow, the letters said.

Since they are proposing to increase existing Lok Sabha from 543 seats to 850 seats, we demand that only half of the increased new seats can be done using Pro Rata model. Remaining half must be distributed based on economic contribution (GSDP) and other performance criteria. This is just one suggestion, a possible approach, he said. In this regard, let us all join to launch a coordinated effort with unity to address this issue. India’s strength lies in its diversity and the equitable representation of all its regions. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this balance is preserved, he added.