SC Dismisses Plea to Increase Assembly Seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Cites Constitutional Constraints

Delhi/Hyderabad, July 25, 2025 (Maxim News): The Supreme Court of India on Friday rejected a plea seeking directions to the Centre to increase the number of Assembly seats in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, citing constitutional limitations on delimitation.

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A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh delivered the verdict while hearing petitions demanding implementation of provisions under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which allows for the expansion of legislative assembly seats in the two states.

Constitution Bars Delimitation Until Post-2026 Census

The court emphasized that Article 170 of the Constitution, along with the 84th and 87th Constitutional Amendments, freezes delimitation of Assembly constituencies until the first census conducted after 2026.

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“Delimitation under Article 170 is constitutionally barred until after the post-2026 census. Hence, any directive for early expansion of seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would contradict existing constitutional provisions,” the bench observed.

J&K Delimitation Not Comparable, Says SC

The petitioners argued that the Centre had selectively implemented delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir, where Assembly seats were increased from 83 to 90 using the 2011 Census data, while excluding Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which they termed discriminatory.

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However, the court dismissed this contention, clarifying that Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory governed under a separate legislative framework, and the provisions of Chapter III of Part VI of the Constitution do not apply to it in the same manner as to States.

Telangana Assembly’s Unfulfilled Demand

In March 2025, the Telangana Legislative Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to increase the number of Assembly seats from 119 to 153, as outlined in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, and based on the most recent census.

The resolution called on the Union Government to amend the Constitution to allow the increase, in a move aimed at strengthening representative democracy in the rapidly growing state.

CM Revanth Reddy Criticizes Centre’s ‘Double Standards’

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticized the Centre for what he termed “double standards”. He pointed out that during his tenure as a Member of Parliament, the Centre had clearly stated in a written reply that delimitation would only be carried out after the 2026 census.

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“If that’s the case, how did the Centre manage to increase Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir based on the 2011 census?” he asked, also noting similar action underway in Sikkim, where delimitation was initiated after a Cabinet resolution in 2018.

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