HYDERABAD: Calling for a united front among southern states to protect democratic rights, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of attempting to control all institutions. He also expressed concern over southern states potentially losing Lok Sabha constituencies in the upcoming delimitation process.
Speaking at a private event in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Revanth stated: “Prime Minister Modi and the BJP have taken everything under their control, posing a major threat to democracy. It is time for the people of the southern states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry— to unite. Political parties have a limited role in this fight because their leaders may prioritise political gains. If needed, I am ready to take the initiative in this matter.”
Revanth also criticised the National Education Policy (NEP), claiming the Centre’s push to appoint vice-chancellors is “an attack on our culture”.
Emphasising the importance of Opposition unity, the chief minister cited the Haryana and Delhi elections as examples. He pointed out that the Congress and AAP fought against each other in both the Haryana and Delhi Assembly elections, which ultimately led to the BJP’s victory.
The chief minister expressed concern about the impact of delimiting constituencies based on population. Noting that southern states have strictly implemented family planning policies in line with the Union government’s directives, he warned that such delimitation would result in the southern states not gaining additional constituencies and potentially losing existing ones.