Delimitation: Ranga Reddy gains most seats in Telangana
HYDERABAD: If Parliament approves the delimitation and women’s reservation Bills, Telangana’s political landscape is set for major changes. The number of Assembly constituencies may rise from 119 to around 179, altering electoral dynamics across districts.
Based on the 2011 population data, the erstwhile Ranga Reddy district is expected to gain the most, with nine additional Assembly seats. Mahabubnagar and Hyderabad districts may follow, with around seven seats each. These three districts could play a decisive role in government formation in future elections.
Reservation changes likely with new constituencies
With nearly 60 new Assembly seats expected, several structural changes may follow. These include the creation of new constituencies, introduction of women-reserved seats, and possible reorganisation of existing Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe reserved constituencies. All changes are likely to be based on the 2011 Census.
At present, Hyderabad has the highest number of Assembly seats, followed by Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar. Population figures from 2011 show Ranga Reddy as the most populous district, followed by Mahabubnagar and Hyderabad, which explains their expected gains in seat allocation.
Seat increase projections across districts
Telangana’s population stood at about 3.5 crore in 2011. Preliminary estimates suggest one Assembly seat for roughly 5.88 lakh people.
On this basis:
- Ranga Reddy may increase from 14 to 23 seats
- Mahabubnagar from 14 to about 21
- Hyderabad from 14 to about 21
- Karimnagar may see a moderate rise
- Warangal and Nalgonda may increase to around 18 each
- Medak and Khammam may reach about 15 seats each
- Adilabad and Nizamabad may see smaller gains
Women’s Bill may alter electoral equations
If the women’s reservation Bill comes into force, electoral calculations will change significantly. Political parties, which earlier allotted limited tickets to women, may now be required to field more women candidates across constituencies.
So far, women legislators in Telangana have largely been elected from Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Congress. No woman has been elected from Majlis or Bharatiya Janata Party. However, with more seats in Hyderabad likely to be reserved for women, there may be new opportunities for representation from these parties.
Currently, the Assembly has only about 10 women MLAs. If the Bill is implemented, the number could rise to between 50 and 60.
Several constituencies represented by senior leaders may be reserved for women, forcing leaders to either shift constituencies or field women from their families.
