BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on not reducing the number of Parliament seats in southern states, alleging “This sudden reassurance for southern states appears less like statesmanship and more like election-driven messaging, timed conveniently with political calculations in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu.’’
He posted on X that the issue has never been about the number of Lok Sabha seats of southern states increasing. The concern is about how they increase - and who benefits disproportionately, he said. He stated that while every state may see an increase, the rate and scale of it clearly favours BJP-dominated states. “Uttar Pradesh is expected to go from 80 to 120 seats (plus 40 seats), Maharashtra from 48 to 72 ( plus 24), Bihar from 40 to 60 ( plus 20), Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 43-44 (plus 15), Rajasthan from 25 to 37-38 (plus 12-13) and Gujarat from 26 to 39 (plus 13).”
He stated, “Southern states see smaller gains. Karnataka rises from 28 to 42 (plus 14), TN from 39 to 58-59 (plus 20), AP from 25 to 37-38 (plus 12-13), Telangana from 17 to 25-26 (plus 8-9) and Kerala from 20 to 30 (plus 10). The numbers are telling. Five southern states together gain barely 63-66 additional seats, while just these seven BJP-dominated states gain about 128-131 seats -- nearly double,’’ he stated.
Another assault on federalism, says CM Siddaramaiah
CM Siddaramaiah said that even after expanding the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, the collective share of southern states remains around 24% which is unchanged and already modest. States that performed better in population control and governance are being penalised.
“Karnataka, which is a key driver of national growth, risks being deliberately sidelined. If our share does not improve while the numerical dominance of larger states grows, what exactly is Karnataka gaining from this exercise,’’ he asked the PM.
He said the result is a widening imbalance. “Today, UP has 52 more seats than Karnataka. This gap will increase to 78. Maharashtra’s lead over Karnataka will expand from 20 to 30 seats. This is not just expansion; it is concentration of power. This is not cooperative federalism.
This is another blatant assault on federalism, designed to concentrate power and silence states like Karnataka. Having failed to win the trust of southern people, the Modi Government is now attempting to weaken our voice through a manipulative restructuring of representation,’’ he alleged.
Siddaramaiah said such a structural change cannot be pushed without consultations or public debate. “At a time of economic and global challenges, the Union Government is more focused on political arithmetic over national priorities.
The people of Karnataka and all who believe in federalism deserve fairness, respect, and transparency. We will firmly oppose any attempt to weaken our voice’’ he added.