BJP MP Compares Andhra Bifurcation to 1947 Partition

In New Delhi on April 16, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya sparked a political controversy during a Lok Sabha debate on bills related to women's reservation and delimitation, comparing the Congress-led bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into two states in 2014 to the British partition of India and Pakistan, which he described as handled in a worse manner.

Surya, representing Bangalore South, made the remarks while supporting the introduction of three key bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to adjust the women's quota in legislatures, the Delimitation Bill to redraw constituencies based on the 2011 Census, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill to apply the quota in Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir. The bills passed their introduction stage with 251 votes in favor and 185 against, amid opposition concerns over potential imbalances in representation for southern states with lower population growth.

Defending the government's proposals, Surya argued that delimitation was a constitutional duty under Articles 81 and 82 to ensure equal vote value. He criticized alternatives suggested by opposition members, including a hybrid model from Telangana Chief...