The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the increase in the number of assembly constituencies in the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Section 26 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, provides for an increase in the number of assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Dr. K. Purushottam Reddy has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking implementation of this provision. The petition has been filed seeking an order to the Center to initiate the process of delimitation to increase the number of assembly seats in these two states.
After completing the hearing on this petition, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Suryakant and Justice Koteshwar Singh reserved the verdict on Wednesday. This case has become a matter of utmost importance for both the states from a political and constitutional point of view.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that delimitation of only the assembly and parliamentary constituencies of the newly formed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, excluding Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is unreasonable and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has also sought responses from the Centre, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as the Central Election Commission on this petition.
The lawyer referred to the Election Commission affidavit stating that it is the responsibility of the Central Government to include and exclude states in the Delimitation Commission notification. He stated that the Central Government has not yet filed a response in this regard.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Central Government, stated that as per Section 26 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, this process will have to wait until the 2026 Census. He said that delimitation is a huge exercise that cannot be undertaken overnight. He explained that there is no need to take action till then.
The Centre clarified that guidelines have been framed regarding this system through the 84th Constitutional Amendment in Article 82. It has been concluded that the Assembly seats can be increased only on the basis of the census. The ASG said that the Jammu and Kashmir delimitation raised by the petitioner was done in the case of a Union Territory. He said that it is legal to take special action in the case of Jammu and Kashmir.
