'If your salary is ₹2 lakh and your driver's...': Shashi Tharoor explains South's delimitation fears to Naidu

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday questioned Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's support for the Centre's proposed delimitation plan, arguing that a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats across states would still significantly alter the political balance in favour of larger states.

Responding to Naidu's remarks about backing the proposal, Tharoor posted on X, "Naidu ji, let’s try a thought experiment. Say your salary is 2 lakhs and your driver’s is 20,000. You announce a 50% increase for everybody. Your salary is now 3 lakhs and your driver’s is 30,000. The percentage or proportional increase is the same — but aren’t you much better than you used to be?

"That’s what your fellow Southern CMs are concerned about. You don’t think there’s any difference between UP’s 80 MPs today versus Kerala’s 20 MPs, if it tomorrow becomes 120 vs 30? Some proportionate difference, huge difference in political weight — with 90 more UP MPs against 10 more Kerala MPs. Is that of no concern to you at all?" he added. 

 

 

 

Tharoor's comments came after Naidu said the BJP-led NDA government would soon reintroduce the Delimitation Bill, clearly spelling out a 50% proportional increase in Lok Sabha seats across states.

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Naidu backs fresh delimitation push

In an interview with ET, Naidu said, "The NDA government will bring the Delimitation Bill and introduce women's reservation soon. It is the need of the hour if we want to introduce reservation of women in politics. This has my full support."

Naidu also said the Opposition had made an issue out of the omission of the 50% proportional increase provision from the original Bill.

"The intention of the government was absolutely clear from the beginning. The government stated it on the floor of the House that there will be 50% increase of seats across the states and the proportion of seats will not change. There was only a matter of omission from the text of the Bill. The Opposition unnecessarily made it an issue."

The Centre had introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment Bill) 2026 during a special session of Parliament in April. The proposed law sought to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and link the delimitation exercise to the 2011 Census. However, the Bills were defeated because the government did not have the required two-thirds majority.

This is the first time an NDA leader has confirmed that the government plans to bring the Bills back to Parliament.

Naidu said he believes the Bills can now be passed.

"The political circumstances have changed in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. I think it will be easy to push the legislations now," he said.

Several regional parties from southern states have opposed linking delimitation to the 2011 Census, saying states that successfully controlled population growth could lose political influence. Naidu argued that the proposed 50% proportional increase in seats across all states would address those concerns.

He also pointed to recent political developments, including the split in the Trinamool Congress and 20 MPs changing sides. Along with DMK's concerns over southern states being penalised being addressed, he said these factors could improve the chances of the legislative package being passed.

Naidu recalls Vajpayee-era delimitation freeze

Naidu also recalled discussions around the previous delimitation freeze under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"I was also responsible for then Prime Minister Mr Vajpayee freezing the number of seats in 2001. I told the Prime Minister that the population is declining in South India, so he should not link it to the latest Census because southern states will be punished. He accepted that the exercise should be linked to the 1971 Census and froze the seats till after 2026. But now we need to address this problem again," said Naidu.