Dashing the hopes of ruling parties TDP & TRS in AP & Telangana respectively, BJP-led Central Government has indicated that no set up of new Assembly constituencies – at least before coming general elections.The recent meeting of Telangana CM KCR with PM Narendra Modi said to have added fuel to speculations that Centre is not keen on making new Assembly Constituencies. Apparently, Modi has remained mum and evaded the topic when KCR had raised the issue in the meeting. If Centre doesn’t grant new Assembly constituencies to the new states of AP and Telangana, it would be a big blow to both TDP and TRS who have encouraged defections from Opposition leaders on the ‘promise’ of allotting seats in the next general polls.
As per the Section 26 in the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, both the state governments of AP and Telangana have been seeking increase of the Assembly constituencies for the past 3 years. While Telangana is wanting its existing 119 Assembly constituencies to be raised to 153 constituencies, Andhra Pradesh is expecting its current 175 seats to be increased to 225 seats.
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Already, TRS has embraced MLAs of TDP, Congress in Telangana and invited into its party and even allotted posts in Cabinet, TDP too followed the suit in the truncated state of AP by ‘encouraging’ defections from YSRCP. Now that Centre seems to be going ‘back’ on its promise of implementing the AP Reogranisation Act 2014, both TDP and TRS would be in major trouble in accommodating leaders from its own parties as well as the defectors, leaders who jumped from rival parties.
This may be slightly advantage – politically – for Opposition parties in both the states. And importantly BJP may also gain advantage out of this situation. Since BJP has been planning to increase its base in South – especially in the two Telugu states – given the prevailing conditions, BJP seems to be not in favour of setting up new Assembly constituencies at this juncture as it would benefit the ruling parties.
Looks like, road ahead for TRS, TDP in 2019 polls isn’t easy. Meanwhile, one can’t rule out the option of new Assembly constituencies completely as there is no official confirmation yet.
