All parties agree on increase in Assembly seats

Reddy said reorganisation of undivided Andhra Pradesh provided an opportunity for parties in the two States to seek Centre’s active role and support on the issue as Section 26 of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014 provided for such an increase. However,



different opinions were expressed in the round-table on the issue of whether a Constitutional amendment was needed for such an increase in numbers.

Sources close to Shashidhar Reddy stated that the only hitch on the way of the Centre was over similar demands emerging from States that were bifurcated in the recent past.  Of the three States that were carved out in 2000 by the then NDA government, only Uttarakhand had effected  an increase in the number of Assembly seats. According to Shashidhar Reddy, all that the Centre has to do in this regard is that the Union Home ministry should issue a notification, saying that the Election Commission of India will take up reorganisation of Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Reddy asserted that the need for delimitation arose also due to the transfer of seven mandals of Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh. Among those who attended the conference were representatives of the TDP, Congress, BJP, TRS and YSRCP.