Contrary to the reports that the increase in the assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana may not be possible by next elections in 2029, Union home minister Amit Shah has indicated the possibility of going in with the elections with revised number of seats.
According to reports from New Delhi, Shah has categorically told some MPs who met him on Monday that the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies will be completed before the next general elections.
This effectively means that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be held only after the delimitation exercise. The same delimitation will be applicable even for the assembly elections, sources said.
According to sources, Amit Shah conveyed this clarity during interactions with Members of Parliament from various states.
He further assured that the nationwide census would be conducted within the stipulated timeline.
The Union Cabinet has already approved the census, which will be carried out in two phases.
Meanwhile, official sources indicate that preparatory work for the delimitation process has already begun.
There is a strong possibility that the delimitation exercise will also incorporate reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women.
The Home Minister clarified that population enumeration would be completed by 2027, following which the delimitation process would be initiated.
According to Section 26(1) of the AP Reorganisation Act, Telangana’s assembly strength will be increased from 119 to 153 and Andhra Pradesh’s from 175 to a maximum of 225.
The Centre maintained that delimitation must align with constitutional provisions, including the 84th Constitutional Amendment, which froze constituency boundaries until after the census conducted post-2026.