Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu criticise Opposition after Constitution Bill defeat; warn of impact on South’s representation and women’s quota

It is rare for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to agree in the state's charged political arena. But the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 brought them on the same page.

Soon after the Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha, YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy criticised Opposition parties for blocking it. "Opposition parties should seriously question themselves-what have they achieved? The reality is that representation for the South would decline and the women's reservation Bill has been delayed.

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Justice has been denied both to the South and to women. If the 2026 Census comes, the situation will worsen, with the South further penalised for following family planning," he posted on X. His party had voted in favour of the Bill in the Lok Sabha.

Naidu later echoed similar concerns, though in more detail, saying the current Bill offered a better deal for southern states than future delimitation. "By defeating the Delimitation and Constitutional Amendment Bill, the Opposition has done a disservice to the nation.

With the freeze under Article 81 ending after the first Census post-2026, the next census will reset seat distribution purely on population, potentially reducing representation for southern, northeastern and smaller states," he said.

Also Read: Centre’s women quota, delimitation formula has my 100% support: N Chandrababu Naidu

He added that the NDA's proposal sought to preserve federal balance and protect the interests of southern states. "Those celebrating this outcome must introspect-we have lost an opportunity to secure a fair constitutional safeguard for representation," he said.