Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 22 (ANI): Congress leader Vishwanathan on Friday called the delimitation process unjust, citing that it would reduce the number of parliamentary seats in southern states, leading to an imbalance in representation.

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to reduce the number of parliamentary seats in the southern part of India, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Puducherry, and Odisha. This is not justice,' Vishwanathan told ANI.

He further stressed that India is a united nation, and delimitation should not disproportionately affect the southern states. 'Delimitation is going to reduce the number of seats for the South,' he added.

The remarks come amid growing concerns among political leaders from the region.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy earlier voiced his opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise and confirmed his participation in the Joint Action Committee meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai on Saturday. The meeting aims to formulate a joint strategy to ensure 'fair' delimitation.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin also weighed in on the issue, stressing that the exercise is not just about parliamentary representation but also about the rights of states.

'Fair delimitation is the talk of the town right now. Why has the DMK brought this to focus? Because in 2026, delimitation will happen. And if the delimitation exercise is carried out based on population, our representation in Parliament will be severely affected. This is not just about the number of MPs but about our state's rights. This is why we have convened a meeting of all parties. Except for the BJP, every other party stood together as one,' Stalin said in a video posted on X.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to downplay the issue of delimitation.

'The BJP just wants to dismiss the delimitation issue as though it's a non-issue. We have been accusing the BJP of being a Hindi majoritarian party. This is a chance for them to show they stand for the entire country. Freeze this issue for 30 years because the population in the North Indian states has not come down, while the South Indian states have done that. We don't expect rewards; we expect equal treatment.' (ANI)