KTR Welcomes Delimitation in Telangana but Warns Against Penalizing Southern States

Hyderabad: Reiterating his stand, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Tuesday, March 24, welcomed the long-pending delimitation process in Telangana but expressed concerns over its potential disadvantages to southern states. While stating that delimitation will help even out disparities among Assembly seats, KTR cautioned that southern states will be disadvantaged if it is done based on the basis of population in India for Parliament seats.

“Our consistent stand—then and now—is that delimitation should not be based purely on population. Instead, it should follow the same proportional framework adopted earlier, based on the 1971 Census,” KTR stated. He pointed out that southern states collectively account for around 24% of representation in Parliament and stressed that this share must not be reduced.

“States that have effectively implemented population control measures should not be penalised for their success,” he added. The BRS leader welcomed the proposal to increase Assembly seats in Telangana, stating that greater representation would bring governance closer to the people. He highlighted stark disparities in constituency sizes, like Aswaraopet having around 1.3 lakh voters, while Serilingampally has nearly 9 lakh voters.

“Such vast disparities are not healthy for a functioning democracy,” he said. Reiterating his party’s stance, KTR said that BRS supports delimitation but only if it ensures fairness and does not undermine the voice of southern states. “Delimitation must be carried out in a manner that protects the interests of southern India and ensures balanced representation,” he added.

Will expose CM Revanth’s family in TDR scam

Attacking Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the Congress government’s Transferable Development Right (TDR) policy, KTR called it a “massive scam” and alleged that the CM’s family members and associates are buying TDRs “indiscriminately”. Claiming that they are “setting the stage for a huge scam, he further alleged that real estate companies are being forced to purchase TDRs.

“Even during last year’s budget session, I explicitly mentioned that they are purchasing TDRs and would later bring in regulations making the use of TDRs mandatory. Exactly as predicted, the Congress government has now introduced new real estate regulations, directing real estate companies to forcibly purchase TDRs. This is definitely a major scandal. Once our government returns to power, we will conduct a comprehensive investigation into this TDR scam,” said KTR.

A TDR is a certificate awarded to a landowner whose land is acquired by the state government for public use. The certificate allows them to sell the ‘built-up area’ rights to another developer or use it elsewhere in lieu. KTR added that every detail of who is selling and buying the TDR properties will be tracked after the BRS comes to power in the future.

KTR slams Congress government over Musi Project

KTR also criticised the Congress-led Telangana government for its approach towards the Musi River development project, alleging a “complete lack of planning, financial clarity, and public engagement”. Stating that the project is proceeding without a clear roadmap or financial preparedness, he claimed that the government has no funds and is merely relying on expected funding from the Asian Development Bank.

The BRS leader said that the funding has also not materialised so far and further alleged that the required Detailed Project Report (DPR) is not ready. He claimed that the previous BRS government had already presented its comprehensive vision for the Musi project during a public presentation held at Gandipet.

“We have clearly outlined our party’s position and approach. If needed, we are ready to present the same again—even to the ministers,” KTR said. He asserted that discussions on such a critical project must not be limited to closed-door meetings in five-star hotels or within the Secretariat among a handful of officials. He was referring to a meeting held with officials and journalists on the project held earlier this month.

“The government must engage directly with the affected people. Lakhs of citizens living along the Musi are anxious and deserve to be heard. Consult the people, address their concerns, and take them into confidence before moving forward,” he said.