Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused Congress and the INDIA alliance of undermining South representation by blocking key legislation in Parliament.
In a statement, the Karimnagar MP said the opposition failed to support measures aimed at protecting southern states during future seat redistribution. Consequently, he termed the move a “historic betrayal” and accused rivals of ignoring long-term regional interests.
Bandi Sanjay said the issue stems from the end of the Article 81 freeze after the next Census post-2026. He explained that this change could trigger redistribution of Lok Sabha seats based on population. As a result, he warned that southern states may face reduced political weight.
He said states that controlled population growth and invested in development could be disadvantaged. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala may face this risk, he added. Therefore, he stressed the need for safeguards in the delimitation process.
South representation concerns over delimitation intensify
Bandi Sanjay claimed the NDA government had proposed measures to protect South representation. He said the Centre showed willingness to amend the delimitation framework. According to him, these steps aimed to balance population-based allocation with fairness to southern states.
Referring to assurances by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he said the government explored increasing total seats without reducing the share of southern states. However, he alleged that the opposition did not support these proposals in Parliament.
At the same time, he accused opposition parties of prioritising politics over policy. He said their stand blocked efforts to ensure fair representation and maintain electoral balance. Moreover, he argued that such actions could weaken federal principles.
He added that the issue exposed contradictions in the opposition’s claims of supporting southern states. Meanwhile, he said the debate holds wider implications for federal structure and regional equity in India’s electoral system.
Congress & INDI alliance have committed a historic betrayal of the South.
They shout “South Pride” outside, but inside Parliament they killed the 131st Amendment Bill that was meant to protect southern states when the Article 81 freeze ends after the first Census post-2026.… pic.twitter.com/w9sJZ0mh1a
— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) April 18, 2026
