Sharmila Slams Lokesh Over Remarks on Southern Representation

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y. S. Sharmila strongly criticised remarks made by Nara Lokesh on the issue of parliamentary constituency delimitation, accusing him of creating unnecessary confusion over a matter with serious long-term implications for southern states.

Sharmila argued that the proposed delimitation exercise could weaken the political influence of southern states despite their success in controlling population growth and improving human development indicators. She questioned the fairness of a system that could politically disadvantage states that had effectively implemented population control policies.

The Congress leader said the real issue was not simply the increase in Lok Sabha seats, but the imbalance in representation that could emerge if states with larger populations gained a disproportionate share of seats. While Andhra Pradesh and other southern states may receive some additional representation, northern states with much larger populations would gain far more, potentially shifting political dominance toward the Hindi heartland, she said.

She maintained that the Congress party has opposed any delimitation process carried out without constitutional safeguards to protect the federal structure . Sharmila also criticised the BJP-led Centre for focusing only on expanding parliamentary seats instead of considering broader democratic reforms such as decentralisation , strengthening local bodies, and giving states greater administrative and financial autonomy.

Expressing concern over the declining number of parliamentary sittings and reduced space for regional voices in national debates, she warned that a larger Lok Sabha without adequate safeguards could further weaken meaningful representation and parliamentary discussions.

Sharmila also took aim at the Telugu Desam Party, saying it was surprising that a party once known for defending state rights was now backing the BJP’s approach without demanding guarantees for southern states. She said the NDA government had failed to provide any clear constitutional assurance protecting the long-term political relevance of the South.

Reaffirming the Congress party’s stand, Sharmila said the goal should be to preserve federal balance , protect the representation of southern states, and strengthen cooperative federalism rather than allowing demographic differences to dictate political power.