Southern States should not suffer during delimitation exercise, says Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

The Union government should ensure that south Indian States do not suffer during the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in Bagalkot on Friday (April 3).

Some scholars and activists have raised concerns that after the next delimitation, the share of MPs from north Indian States will increase disproportionately while that of the south will decrease. This may be the fallout of the higher population in north Indian States. However, the Union government should ensure that southern States do not receive step-motherly treatment during the delimitation exercise, he noted.

To a query on the warning by auto drivers that they would gherao the official residence of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister K.H. Muniyappa, the Chief Minister said that the fuel shortage was due to the policies of the Centre and not the States. He added, “Those upset with the shortages should protest before the house of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Mr. Muniyappa.”