Bengaluru, April 5 Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent remarks on Lok Sabha seats, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the concern is not whether the number of seats are increased, but how the expansion is carried out and who benefits "disproportionately".
He alleged that having "failed" to win the trust of southern people, the Modi government is now attempting to weaken the region's voice through a "manipulative restructuring of representation".
PM Modi had on Thursday said that Lok Sabha seats would not be reduced in South Indian states that have successfully controlled population, and that the total number of seats will increase to benefit states across the country.
Addressing an NDA Assembly election rally at Thiruvalla in Kerala, Modi said, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which adjourned on Thursday, will reconvene on April 16 for three days to take up legislation, including increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to implement women's reservation.
In a post on 'X', Siddaramaiah said, "I welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally opening his mouth on the proposed delimitation exercise. This sudden concern for reassuring southern states appears less like statesmanship and more like election-driven messaging, timed conveniently with political calculations in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu."
"Let us be clear, the issue has never been about whether the number of Lok Sabha seats of southern states increases. The concern is about how they increase - and who benefits disproportionately."
Noting that every state may see an increase, the rate and scale of increase clearly favour BJP-dominated states, the CM said, "Uttar Pradesh is expected to go from 80 to 120 seats (+40), Maharashtra from 48 to 72 (+24), Bihar from 40 to 60 (+20), Madhya Pradesh from 29 to 43–44 (+14–15), Rajasthan from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), and Gujarat from 26 to 39 (+13)."
"In contrast, southern states see smaller gains. Karnataka rises from 28 to 42 (+14), Tamil Nadu from 39 to 58–59 (+20), Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 37–38 (+12–13), Telangana from 17 to 25–26 (+8–9), and Kerala from 20 to 30 (+10)."
"The numbers are telling. Five southern states together gain barely 63–66 additional seats, while just these seven BJP-dominated states gain about 128–131 seats - nearly double."
He argued that after the expansion of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats, the collective share of southern states would remains around 24 per cent "unchanged and already modest".
Siddaramaiah claimed that states that performed better in population control and governance are being penalised, and Karnataka - a key driver of national growth - risks being deliberately sidelined.
"If our share does not improve while the numerical dominance of larger states grows, what exactly is Karnataka gaining from this exercise?"he asked.
"The result is a widening imbalance," he pointed out, adding that today, Uttar Pradesh has 52 more seats than Karnataka - this gap will increase to 78. Maharashtra’s lead over Karnataka will expand from 20 to 30 seats.
This is not just expansion; it is concentration of power, he said. "This is not cooperative federalism - this is another blatant assault on federalism, designed to concentrate power and silence states like Karnataka."
He allegd, "Having failed to win the trust of southern people, the Modi government is now attempting to weaken our voice through a manipulative restructuring of representation."
Such a structural change cannot be pushed without consultations or public debate, Siddaramaiah said adding that at a time of economic and global challenges, the union government is more focused on political arithmetic over national priorities.
"The people of Karnataka - and all who believe in federalism - deserve fairness, respect, and transparency. We will firmly oppose any attempt to weaken our voice," he said.