Plains area tribals urge political quota in 2026 delimitation

Vijayawada: Tribal residing in the plains (non-scheduled) areas of Andhra Pradesh have appealed to Chief Electoral Officer Vivek Yadav and the State Government, seeking political reservation based on district-wise population in the upcoming 2026 delimitation exercise.

In a representation submitted on Monday, former member of the AP State Commission for Scheduled Tribes and National President of Girijana Praja Samakhya (GPS), Vadithya Sankar Naik, highlighted the long-pending issue of inadequate political representation for plains area tribal communities.

He recalled that in 1962, four Assembly seats were allocated to tribals living in the plains, acknowledging their population and socio-economic conditions. However, over the years, reservation for Scheduled Tribes has been determined solely on the basis of population in scheduled (agency) areas, treating the entire state as a single unit.

This, he stated, has resulted in plains area tribals being denied equitable representation in the state Assembly.

In the memorandum, the community urged the State Election Commission to consider each district separately while calculating tribal population during delimitation, extend political reservation to tribals living in non-scheduled plains areas based on their district-wise population share and restore fair representation similar to the recognition accorded in 1962.

The appeal emphasised that such measures would promote justice, equality, and inclusiveness for all tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh, irrespective of their geographical location.

Sankar Naik requested the authorities to take necessary action to ensure the political rights of plains area tribals are safeguarded in the forthcoming delimitation process.