Bengaluru, Feb 27 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that southern states will not be disadvantaged in the delimitation process is not "trustworthy" and that his statement appears to be aimed at creating confusion among the southern states.

The Chief Minister's remarks came a day after Shah assured the southern states that they would not lose a 'single Parliamentary seat' due to delimitation.

"Going by the Home Minister’s vague remarks, it seems that either he lacks proper information or there is a deliberate intent to disadvantage the southern states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh," he said in a statement.

Siddaramaiah said that if the central government genuinely wishes to ensure fairness for the southern states, the Home Minister must clarify whether delimitation will be based on the latest population ratio or the current number of Lok Sabha seats.

"It is evident that if delimitation is carried out based on the latest population ratio, it will be a severe injustice to the southern states. To prevent such unfairness, previous delimitation exercises were conducted using the 1971 census as the basis, following constitutional amendments," he stated.

According to him, over the past 50 years, southern states have effectively controlled population growth while progressing significantly in terms of development. Meanwhile, northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh have failed to regulate population growth and continue to lag in development.

"As a result, if delimitation is based on the latest census, southern states, including Karnataka, may see a reduction or stagnation in their number of Lok Sabha seats, while northern states will gain more seats. In either scenario, the southern states will bear the loss. Is the Home Minister unaware of this?" he asked.

Citing several studies conducted on the impact of delimitation, the CM said that according to these studies, if delimitation is based solely on the latest census (2021 or 2031), the number of Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka is likely to decrease from 28 to 26. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh’s seats would drop from 42 to 34, Kerala’s from 20 to 12, and Tamil Nadu’s from 39 to 31.

"The number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh would increase from 80 to 91, Bihar’s from 40 to 50, and Madhya Pradesh’s from 29 to 33. If this is not injustice, what is?" Siddaramaiah wondered.

Terming it "unacceptable", he said that if southern states, including Karnataka, are to be treated fairly in the delimitation process, either the 1971 Census must be used as the basis or the number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased proportionally, without relying solely on population figures.

"However, looking at the extraordinary enthusiasm shown by Narendra Modi-led government for delimitation, it appears that the real intent is to punish the people of the southern states for resisting his party’s dominance," the CM alleged.

Siddaramaiah highlighted that during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign, BJP President J P Nadda had warned that if the people of Karnataka did not support the BJP, the state would not receive Narendra Modi’s blessings.

"Every action taken by the Union Government against our state now proves this statement to be true," he stated.

Accusing the Centre of being "unfair" to Karnataka, he said, "It is becoming increasingly evident that every decision taken by the Union Government—whether it is the unfair distribution of tax revenues, injustice in GST and disaster relief funds, the imposition of a burdensome education policy, or amendments to UGC regulations—is intended to punish Karnataka." The Chief Minister alleged that to further silence the voices of southern states in Parliament and prevent them from raising their concerns at the national level, the BJP-led government at the Centre has now taken up the "new weapon of delimitation." Taking a dig at state BJP leaders, he claimed, "Despite witnessing these repeated injustices, 17 BJP MPs and 2 JD(S) MPs elected from Karnataka to the Lok Sabha have remained silent like slaves. Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the state are too busy engaging in petty internal conflicts and mudslinging." Noting the situation, the Chief Minister urged Kannadigas to set aside differences of caste, religion, and political ideology and unite with a single voice against the "injustice" being "inflicted upon the state" by the union government.

"Discussions are already underway with neighbouring southern states to wage a comprehensive fight against these injustices. In the coming days, a coordinated movement will be launched in collaboration with all affected states," he stated. PTI AMP GMS SSK GMS SSK ROH