Telangana urges centre to increase number of assembly seats

The Telangana government on Friday once again urged the central government to increase the number of seats in state legislative assembly from the present 119 to 153.

In a letter addressed to Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Telangana's Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma reiterated the request for increasing the number of seats as envisaged in the AP Re-Organisation Act, 2014.

Sharma mentioned that, as the new state of Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014 and in order to strengthen the democratic institutions and to provide social justice to its people, the central government may initiate action to place the matter before the Election Commission of India for increase of seats as expeditiously as possible, an official release said.

In support of his request, he quoted the relevant provision under section 26 of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014 regarding delimitation of constituencies.

AIt has been provided in the section 26(1) that subject to the provisions contained in article 170 of the constitution and without prejudice to section 15 of this act, the number of seats in the legislative assembly of the successor States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana shall be increased from 175 and 119 to 225 and 153, respectively, and delimitation of the constituencies may be determined by the Election Commission.

It has also been brought to the notice of the home secretary, about the provision (3) to article 170, according to which upon the completion of each census the total number of seats in the legislative assembly of each state and the division of each state into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as parliament may by law determine.