Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and LDF chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday defended the proposed delimitation exercise, asserting that it was “inevitable” and would not cause injustice to any state, while criticizing the Congress and DMK for opposing it.
Addressing a press conference here on the last day of the election campaign, Naidu questioned the claims of Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin that the opposition had “defeated” the demarcation-related proposal.
“Rahul Gandhi and MK Stalin say they defeated the demarcation bill. Congress and DMK have to decide what kind of victory this is. They have betrayed women,” Naidu said.
This comes days after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in Parliament, effectively stalling border demarcation reforms.
Emphasizing his decades of political experience, he said, “I am an experienced politician of nearly five decades in public life. I have seen the journey of the Women’s Reservation Bill since 1996. It has been postponed time and again. Now, when a concrete framework has been presented, they are opposing it.”
Naidu said the proposed model ensures fairness between states. “Demarcation is inevitable. Do they have any better formula? It has been clearly stated that no state will be aggrieved. There will be a 50 per cent increase in seats across states and, within that, 33 per cent reservation for women,” he explained, adding that fears of southern states losing representation are misplaced.
Naidu, citing historical trends, pointed out that population differences have always affected seat distribution, but safeguards have been included in the current proposal. “If we had closely followed previous census trends, the southern states would have lost seats,” he said. “This model ensures balance and fairness.”
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Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu were also present at the press conference. Naidu used the platform to highlight cultural and economic ties between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, describing the latter as the “cradle of Dravidian culture” and emphasizing common heritage and developmental goals.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for promoting reforms and promoting competitive federalism. “India is now among the fastest growing economies. The Prime Minister has a clear vision for ‘Fixit Bharat 2047’ and countries must align with this growth path,” he said.
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While promoting the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, Naidu said a “dual-engine government” would speed up the development process. He expressed confidence in AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, describing him as a “focused and capable leader”.
With Tamil Nadu going to the polls on April 23 and the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, Naidu urged voters to “think ahead” and support leadership that can deliver growth, infrastructure and opportunity.
