Delimitation: Modi’s remark is more like election-driven, says Siddaramaiah

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised hat southern States which have stabilised their population would not lose Lok Sabha seats during a campaign in Kerala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the remark appeared less like statesmanship and more like election-driven messaging.

He said the Prime Minister’s statement seemed conveniently timed with political considerations in States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

In a post on X, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “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.”

He argued that under the proposed delimitation, while all States may gain seats, the scale of increase appears to favour BJP-dominated States. According to him, Uttar Pradesh could rise from 80 to 120 seats, Maharashtra from 48 to 72, Bihar from 40 to 60, Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 43–44, Rajasthan from 25 to 37–38, and Gujarat from 26 to 39.

In contrast, he said southern States would see relatively smaller increases: Karnataka from 28 to 42, Tamil Nadu from 39 to 58–59, Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 37–38, Telangana from 17 to 25–26, and Kerala from 20 to 30.

“Five southern States together gain barely 63–66 additional seats, while these seven BJP-dominated States gain about 128–131 seats—nearly double,” he claimed.

Even if the Lok Sabha expands to 816 seats, the southern States’ collective share would remain around 24%, unchanged and already modest, he said, adding that States that performed better in population control and governance were being penalised.

Warning that the delimitation exercise could widen regional imbalances, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the gap between Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka would grow from 52 to 78 seats, while Maharashtra’s lead over Karnataka would increase from 20 to 30 seats. “This is not just expansion; it is concentration of power,” he said.

“The people of Karnataka, and all who believe in federalism, deserve fairness, respect, and transparency. We will firmly oppose any attempt to weaken our voice,” he added.