Nara Lokesh Defends NDA's Stance on Delimitation Amid Congress Criticism

Nara Lokesh's Defense of NDA's Delimitation Approach

On Friday, Andhra Pradesh Minister and TDP leader Nara Lokesh supported the NDA government's position on delimitation. He raised concerns regarding the Congress party's opposition to the Constitutional Amendment Bill of 2026, warning that southern states risk losing their relative representation in the Lok Sabha once the constitutional freeze under Article 81 is lifted after the next census. In a post on X, Lokesh responded to Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who argued that implementing Article 81 without constitutional changes would diminish the parliamentary power of southern states.

Concerns Over Representation

Lokesh pointed out that the allocation of Lok Sabha seats has remained unchanged since the 1971 census, as stipulated by Article 81 of the Indian Constitution. This constitutional freeze is set to end following the first census after 2026, leading to inevitable seat redistribution. He emphasized that every southern state would lose relative representation compared to northern states once the freeze is lifted.

NDA's Efforts to Address Imbalance

He noted that the NDA has attempted to rectify this imbalance through the delimitation bill and proportional increase in parliamentary seats for all states. Lokesh reiterated that this concern has been consistently raised, highlighting the NDA's efforts to address the issue through these legislative measures.

Questioning Congress's Opposition

Challenging the Congress party's stance, Lokesh questioned why the opposition opposed this bill in Parliament. He remarked that esteemed legal experts like Chidambaram must be fully aware of the constitutional implications. This raises a crucial question: why did the Congress party oppose the delimitation bill in Parliament? Was it a political maneuver at the expense of the long-term interests of southern India?

Direct Questions for Congress

Lokesh further stated that the Congress party must directly address these questions: According to the current form of Article 81, what will happen after the 2026 census? Will the representation of the south not decrease compared to the north? If so, why oppose the constitutional arrangement aimed at preventing this outcome? His comments were a response to Chidambaram's interview with an English daily regarding the delimitation and representation of southern states.

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