Centre for delimitation of TS, AP

New Delhi: The Centre is likely to take up the process of delimitation in the two Telugu states along with Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Home Ministry and Law Ministry are said to have given their clearance for initiating the process.

If the delimitation takes place, then the number of seats in Andhra Pradesh will go up to 225 from the present 175 and in Telangana it will be up from 119 to 153.

The Chief Election Commissioner on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting and reviewed the issue. It is learnt that it has informed the Centre that a delimitation commission should be constituted first and based on its recommendations, the government will have to amend Article 170 of the Constitution.

It is learnt that the delimitation commission will be given a clear time frame as the Centre is keen on introducing the constitution amendment bill in the winter session of Parliament.

The BJP is likely to give the responsibility of coordinating in the process of delimitation exercise in Telugu states to a senior leader who had recently migrated from TDP to BJP.

The BJP leadership is likely to hold a meeting of top leaders to discuss this issue next week.

The saffron party feels that if the process of increasing Assembly seats for the two Telugu states is also taken up along with J&K and Sikkim, it would not only amount to fulfilling the assurance given in the AP State Re-organisation Act 2014 but will also pave way for holding simultaneous polls in 2023.

This would also help the BJP in strengthening its base in both the Telugu states, it feels.

It may be mentioned here that both the Telugu states had demanded the Centre to take up delimitation during Modi 1 regime, but the BJP government did not respond to it.

However, since it has now to taken up the delimitation for J&K Assembly following the scrapping of Article 370, the Centre felt that it should include Sikkim and the two Telugu states in the list.