Attorney-General’s view on seats sought

Hyderabad: The Union government appears to have made some positive moves on Thursday in respect of increase in the number of Assembly seats both in TS and AP, as per the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act.

Union Parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who held a meeting with TRS MPs and Union secretaries for Law and Legislative Affairs, said the Centre was very much in favour of implementing the provision of the Act but before it does that, it would like to seek the Attorney-General’s opinion.

Karimnagar TRS MP B. Vinod Kumar had recently moved a Private Member’s Bill in the Lok Sabha seeking increase in the number of Assembly seats in both the states.

Though a specific provision (Section 26) had been incorporated in the AP Reorganisation Act, the Union government told Parliament a few months ago that it was not possible to increase the number of Assembly seats in the residuary states till 2026 when the fresh delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies is due.

In Section 26 of the Act, it is mentioned that any increase of seats was subjected to the provisions of Article 170 of the Constitution that deals with delimitation of constituencies.

The governments of both the states had requested the Centre several times to bring an amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act by inserting a clause stating ‘notwithstanding anything contained in Article 170 of the Constitution, fresh delimitation to increase the Assembly seats in TS and AP shall be taken up by Election Commission’. The Centre is not ready to take this up, anticipating similar demands from other states.

However, after Thursday’s meeting with MPs B. Vinod Kumar and K. Kesava Rao, along with officials, Mr Venkaiah Naidu said opinion would be obtained from the AG on the issue.