Published Apr 05, 2026 | 7:36 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 05, 2026 | 7:36 PM
Siddaramaiah termed the proposed exercise a threat to federal balance.
Synopsis: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an NDA rally in Kerala that the proposed delimitation exercise will not reduce Lok Sabha seats of southern states, dismissing concerns as “falsehoods”, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the “assurance” misses the core issue. He cited projections to say northern states are likely to gain more seats in the process, in effect “punishing” states that controlled population growth with a smaller share of seats in Parliament.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “assurance” that the proposed delimitation exercise will not reduce the share of Lok Sabha seats of states that have effectively implemented population control.
“I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally opening his mouth on the proposed delimitation exercise. This sudden concern for ‘reassuring’ southern states looks less like statesmanship and more like election-driven messaging, timed with political calculations in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on X on Sunday, 5 April.
His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing an NDA rally in Thiruvalla, Kerala, ahead of the 9 April Assembly polls, said “falsehoods” about the delimitation exercise were being spread and that the Union government would ensure seats are not reduced.
“Be it Kerala, Tamil Nadu or other states that have done a commendable job in controlling population, some people are spreading falsehoods that a reduction in population will lead to a reduction in their parliamentary seats. We will ensure, through legislation in Parliament, that the Lok Sabha seats of these states—be it Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa or Telangana—are not reduced,” Modi said.
Siddaramaiah, however, pointed out that the issue was not just whether seats would be reduced, but the proportion of representation southern states would hold compared with more populous northern states.
Expected after the 2027 Census, the delimitation exercise has been contentious, particularly in southern states, which have said it unfairly penalises them for population control. Parliamentary representation has remained frozen based on the 1971 Census for over five decades, and the freeze will end in 2026.
“Let us be clear: the issue has never been about whether the number of Lok Sabha seats of southern states increases. The concern is about how they increase – and who benefits disproportionately,” the Chief Minister said.
He cited projections to argue that the proposed expansion would disproportionately favour certain states.
“Uttar Pradesh is expected to go from 80 to 120 seats (+40), Maharashtra from 48 to 72 (+24), Bihar from 40 to 60 (+20), Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 43–44 (+14–15), Rajasthan from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), and Gujarat from 26 to 39 (+13),” he said.
In comparison, he said Karnataka would go from 28 to 42 (+14), Tamil Nadu from 39 to 58–59 (+20), Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), Telangana from 17 to 25–26 (+8–9), and Kerala from 20 to 30 (+10).
“The numbers are telling. Five southern states together gain barely 63–66 additional seats, while these seven BJP-dominated states gain about 128–131 seats – nearly double. Even after expanding the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, the collective share of southern states remains around 24 percent – unchanged and already modest,” he said.
“Today, Uttar Pradesh 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.”
Calling the exercise a threat to federal balance, Siddaramaiah said it amounted to an attempt to centralise power.
“States that performed better in population control and governance are being penalised, and Karnataka—a key driver of national growth—risks being deliberately sidelined,” he said.
“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 also called for wider consultation before any structural changes.
“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 than national priorities.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
