Hyderabad: KT Rama Rao, the BRS Working President, emphasized the need to maintain India’s federal structure by addressing the increasing centralization of power in the northern regions, especially the Hindi-speaking areas, at the cost of southern states.
During the 9th ‘Talk Journalism’ event in Jaipur, KTR discussed the ‘North-South Divide in Indian Politics.’ He argued that parliamentary representation should not rely solely on population figures. Southern states have effectively managed population growth and contributed greatly to the economy, and should not face penalties for their efforts. He pointed out that while Kerala limited its population growth to 69% since 1950, Uttar Pradesh expanded by 239%. This demographic difference could lead to political imbalance if the proposed delimitation process results in South India losing seats while North India gains them.
KTR warned that using population as the sole criterion for seat redistribution and delimitation could centralize policies and resources. He noted that if political parties focus on the Hindi-speaking regions to select the Prime Minister, other parts of India might be neglected. On language issues, KTR was clear: India doesn’t need a national language. With 22 official languages and over 300 unofficial ones, India’s diversity is a strength. He argued against imposing Hindi, stating, “I’m not enforcing Telugu on you, so why enforce Hindi on me?”
KTR also criticized recent voter roll revisions in Bihar, where approximately five lakh voters were reportedly removed. Such actions threaten India’s democratic values. He highlighted that in the last Bihar elections, the losing margin was just 12,500 votes. Voter suppression could unfairly decide elections, and even one Indian losing their voting rights is unacceptable. He urged the Election Commission of India to take immediate action.
He questioned the credibility of the BJP-led Union government for not fulfilling promises like increasing Assembly seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as per the AP Reorganization Act. He noted that seats in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam were increased for political benefits while ignoring the South. “Why should we trust them on delimitation now?” he asked.
KTR reiterated the BRS party’s stance on maintaining independence and only providing issue-based support to the Union government. He believes politics should be limited to the last six months, while economics should be the focus for the remaining four and a half years.
