CM Chandrababu Naidu Slams DMK-Congress Over Delimitation, Women’s Reservation Debate

In the middle of a heated election season in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stepped onto the campaign stage with a message that went beyond routine political rhetoric—turning the spotlight on what he described as a defining issue for southern India’s political future.

Addressing a massive gathering in Coimbatore, Naidu accused the DMK-Congress alliance of manufacturing fears around women’s reservation and delimitation , calling their campaign a deliberate attempt to confuse voters . He argued that the opposition was using sensitive national reforms as political tools, rather than engaging with their long-term implications.

At the heart of Naidu’s speech was a strong defence of the NDA’s position on 33% reservation for women in legislatures , an issue that has remained unresolved for decades. He blamed the Congress and its allies for repeatedly blocking progress since the mid-1990s, saying the delay had denied women rightful space in political decision-making. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, the government has revived the push for women’s representation with renewed seriousness, framing it as central to democratic reform.

But it was the delimitation debate that dominated his address. With the next exercise expected after the upcoming Census, concerns have intensified across southern states about whether population-based redistribution of constituencies could dilute their voice in Parliament. Naidu sought to counter these anxieties, insisting that the Centre’s approach is not about taking away representation, but expanding it.

He pointed to proposals to significantly increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats, suggesting that such an expansion would allow states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to gain additional seats without losing their current strength. According to this vision, growth in representation would be shared , not redistributed—ensuring balance while accommodating demographic changes.

At the same time, Naidu drew a sharp line against demands to base delimitation strictly on fresh population data from the 2026–27 Census. He warned that such a formula could inadvertently punish states that have successfully implemented population control measures over the past decades. For him, this was not just a technical issue, but a question of fairness.

Recalling his earlier political interventions during the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Naidu said he had fought to retain the freeze on parliamentary seats based on the 1971 Census—an arrangement that helped maintain regional balance. That precedent, he suggested, remains relevant as India prepares for its next phase of political restructuring.

The speech also reflected a broader political strategy. By framing the debate as one between balanced national growth and misleading narratives , Naidu positioned the NDA as both pro-reform and pro-South, while casting the opposition as opportunistic. His appeal to voters in Coimbatore was clear: reject fear-based politics and support a leadership that promises both development and equitable representation.

As the campaign intensifies, issues like women’s reservation and delimitation are no longer confined to policy discussions they are emerging as powerful electoral themes. Naidu’s intervention signals that the battle for southern India’s political voice will be central to the national conversation in the months ahead.