Vijayawada, April 16:
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has strongly opposed the Centre’s proposed delimitation bill, warning that it could severely impact the political representation of southern states. CPI State Secretary G. Eswaraiah called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan to take a clear stand against the bill and ensure their party MPs vote against it in Parliament.
Eswaraiah stated that while the CPI supports the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Centre is allegedly using it as a political cover to push forward delimitation. He accused the BJP-led government of linking women’s reservation with constituency reorganization to serve its electoral interests rather than democratic principles.
He further claimed that the proposed changes, including increasing Lok Sabha seats from 550 to around 850, would disproportionately benefit northern states with higher population growth, thereby reducing the representation of southern states that have effectively implemented population control measures.
Highlighting historical context, Eswaraiah said CPI has long championed women’s rights, recalling leaders like Renu Chakravarty and Geeta Mukherjee who fought for women’s reservation in Parliament. He also alleged that earlier attempts to pass the bill were obstructed by BJP leaders for political reasons.
Raising concerns over due process, Eswaraiah questioned the move to proceed with delimitation without completing a fresh census and caste survey. He urged all political parties in Andhra Pradesh to treat the issue as a matter of policy and democratic fairness, and collectively oppose the bill to safeguard regional representation.
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