Fri Feb 28 02:59:45 UTC 2025: ## Southern States Revolt Against Proposed Parliament Delimitation

**CHENNAI/BENGALURU** – Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are leading a growing chorus of dissent against the upcoming parliamentary delimitation process, accusing the central government of unfairly favoring northern states at the expense of the south. Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah both voiced strong criticism of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurances regarding the process, deeming them inconsistent and untrustworthy.

Stalin highlighted what he called the BJP government’s shifting stance, pointing to previous statements suggesting an increase in parliamentary seats for northern states and implied disadvantages for southern states. He directly demanded a proportional increase in Tamil Nadu’s representation to match the increases proposed for the north.

Siddaramaiah echoed these concerns, labeling the home minister’s remarks as confusing and potentially designed to disadvantage southern states. He argued that using the latest population data for delimitation would severely harm the South, which has achieved significant population control and development over the last 50 years, in contrast to some northern states.

Siddaramaiah cited studies predicting significant losses in Lok Sabha seats for southern states – including Karnataka (a projected decrease from 28 to 26), Andhra Pradesh (42 to 34), Kerala (20 to 12), and Tamil Nadu (39 to 31) – while northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh would see substantial gains. He called this “injustice” and demanded either the use of the 1971 census data or a proportional increase in seats to prevent this outcome.

Siddaramaiah further alleged that the delimitation exercise is part of a broader pattern of central government policies designed to penalize southern states for their resistance to the BJP’s dominance, citing examples such as unfair tax revenue distribution and the imposition of burdensome education policies. He announced plans for a coordinated movement with other affected southern states to combat these alleged injustices.

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