Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of putting political survival ahead of the state’s future by supporting the proposed Delimitation Bill.
In a post on X, Tagore alleged that Naidu, who he said had earlier betrayed his father-in-law and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, is now backing a move that could weaken the representation of southern states in Parliament.
He wrote that Naidu has repeatedly shown that “power comes before principles,” adding that his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the delimitation exercise amounts to compromising Andhra Pradesh’s interests.
Tagore further described the move as a “calculated surrender,” arguing that supporting delimitation without conducting a caste-based census would disadvantage backward-class women. He said this could limit their opportunities to enter Parliament through the Women’s Reservation framework.
He also criticised Naidu for avoiding what he termed structural issues, accusing him instead of diverting attention with suggestions such as promoting larger families.
Meanwhile, the Centre is considering implementing women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections. This may involve amending the 2023 law and introducing a constitutional amendment to separate the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
The proposal reportedly includes increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from the current 543 seats to 850, with 815 seats allocated to states and 35 to Union Territories.
A special session of Parliament has been convened from April 16 to April 18 to deliberate on key legislative matters.
(With inputs from ANI)