BJP Rejects Congress Claims on Delimitation

Hyderabad: On Tuesday, state BJP president N. Ramchander Rao said delimitation of constituencies was a routine constitutional exercise carried out after the Census and alleged that the Congress’ claim that it was based solely on population was misleading.

Addressing party leaders, Rao said some southern states have more Assembly constituencies despite having lower population, while some northern states like Himachal Pradesh and Delhi have less population but more Assembly constituencies. He said the proposed increase in assembly segments would be in proportion to the existing constituencies and not just the population.

He alleged that the Congress and the INDIA bloc were spreading “misleading information” about the impact of delimitation on the southern states and claimed that these states would get equal Assembly segments with the northern districts.

Party spokesperson PL Srinivas said delimitation will be a proportionate exercise based on existing Assembly segments and Lok Sabha constituencies to ensure balanced representation. He said southern states would not lose seats after the proposed delimitation exercise following the 2026 Census, and asked people to be cautious of what he described as “false” and “divisive” propaganda.

Separately, BJP Legislative Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision that people who convert to another religion will lose their right to avail Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe benefits. He said that the court, in line with earlier decisions and state precedents, had clarified that SC/ST status and reservation benefits would not continue after religious conversion.

Reddy said the decision will prevent misuse of reservation benefits and ensure they reach eligible SC/ST communities. He added that the Supreme Court’s stand was consistent with earlier Supreme Court judgments, including those in Andhra Pradesh, which held that reservation was linked to caste-based backwardness and not religion.