Telugu Parties Support Modi on Delimitation

Hyderabad: Regional parties in the two Telugu states, which are usually very cautious when dealing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his major policy initiatives, have moved in support of the controversial Delimitation Bill, which will be tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

While NDA partner Telugu Desam stands behind Modi with its decisive force in the Lok Sabha, Jana Sena, another NDA partner, praised its arch-rival YSR Congress Limitation Bill and pledged support to the Center on Wednesday.

As a symbolic gesture, TD president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting at his residence with Jana Sena chief and deputy CM Pawan Kalyan and state BJP president PVN Madhav to officially announce support for women quota and limitation.

In Telangana, the Bharata Rashtra Samithi extended its support to a 33 per cent quota for women and the Limitation Bill; but one driver said he would oppose the latter if it harmed the interests of South India.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao announced that in case of injustice to the southern states, party president K. Chandrashekhar Rao will be at the forefront and fight against the Centre.

The NDA, on the other hand, is confident that both bills will be passed and is said to be pinning its hopes on minor parties refraining from voting, thus reducing the current and voted magic figure of two-thirds.

“The Chief Minister took the issue seriously and we were made to understand that the BJP will ensure the passage of the two bills,” a Telugu Desam MP told Deccan Chronicle.

YSR Congress, which has never wrong-shouldered Modi for obvious reasons, has crossed the line this time too.

Party general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, while welcoming Modi’s decision, told a national news agency that the YSR Congress will support the bill as the restriction will meet the needs of the growing population. He, however, urged the Center to clear misunderstandings and take into account the genuine concerns expressed by the parties.

Meanwhile, the NDA will fall short in terms of the mathematical strength required to pass the two bills, with 70 votes in the Lok Sabha and 29 votes in the Rajya Sabha. Sources said the BJP had reached out to smaller parties, including those in south India, assuring them that no region in the country would be affected by the proposed restriction. To allay concerns, the Center “leaked” through communication channels that there would be a 50 per cent increase commensurate with the existing proportion of seats in each state.