Chennai: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday urged the Southern Zonal Council to adopt a resolution asking the Union government to honour the 1971 census for delimitation, retain 543 Lok Sabha seats for 25 years and fit women's reservation within the existing seats, while also touching upon inter-state river disputes where he stated "water must not divide us."
The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by CMs of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, C Joseph Vijay, VD Satheesan and N Chandrababu Naidu, among others.
His remarks on water comes at a time when Karnataka and neighbouring Tamil Nadu are locked in a bitter dispute over the sharing of the inter-state Cauvery river.
Further, he also made a strong pitch for greater fiscal and political equity for the southern states, calling for "fairness in funds, fairness in voice and fairness in the respect owed to the states that power this economy."
Shivakumar noted that south was the "engine of the Indian economy", with the five southern states accounting for nearly 33 per cent of the country's GDP despite having about 20 per cent of its population.
Addressing the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council here, Shivakumar said the south's success in controlling its population must not become a reason for reducing its political voice. The text of his speech was released by the Karnataka government in Bengaluru.
"We welcome the assurance that no southern state will lose seats. But representation is not only about numbers. It is about weight, and about voice," he said.
Shivakumar said the southern states had responded to the country's call for population stabilisation with discipline and success, and should not be penalised for that achievement during the delimitation exercise.
"That success must never become the reason to make our voice smaller. Our economic weight must be matched with political voice," he said.
The CM specifically called for the 1971 population basis to be respected and for the overall strength of the Lok Sabha to remain unchanged.
"I am confident that all the chief ministers here will support me in what I say. Let the 1971 basis be honoured, and let the strength of our voice be protected", he said
Shivakumar also linked the delimitation issue with women's reservation, arguing that the implementation of the reservation should not be delayed on account of a fresh delimitation exercise.
"Women have waited long enough for their rightful representation. Their reservation should not have to wait for a population count," he said.
He urged the Council to pass a resolution seeking to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at the existing 543 for the next 25 years and provide women's reservation within those 543 seats.
"I therefore urge this Council to move a resolution to freeze the number of seats in Lok Sabha to the current number and provide women's reservation within that number. I call upon my fellow chief ministers to stand together behind our shared stand," he said.
Shivakumar's intervention comes amid concerns among southern states that a delimitation exercise based on population could alter the balance of parliamentary representation between states that have successfully implemented population-control measures and those with larger populations. The southern states, all of which are ruled by non-BJP, non-NDA diespensations other than Andhra Pradesh, have been largely on the same page vis-a-vis delimitation.
Shivakumar said protecting the south's political voice was integral to ensuring fairness within India's federal structure.
"Fairness in our voice is one half of the story. Fairness in our resources is the other," Shivakumar said.
Shivakumar also flagged the issue of the Mekedatu project, stressing that it is an important project not only for Karnataka, but for Tamil Nadu as well.
"While walking to the meeting, senior leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu ji told me that we need to solve the Cauvery water issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Let me assure you, every drop of water from the Mekedatu project will help farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Help us help you, he said.
Shivakumar said rivers such as the Cauvery, Krishna, Tungabhadra, Pennar and Palar were the lifelines of the southern peninsula and called for a shift from "water sharing to water cooperation".
"Our rivers do not recognise political boundaries," he said.
"Water must unite us, not divide us. The time has come to move from water sharing to water cooperation. Karnataka has shown what that cooperation looks like," he said.
Referring to the June 25 meeting involving Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he said the three states had demonstrated that interstate water issues could be addressed through dialogue.
"We accept that every riparian state has legitimate needs. And our stand rests on three principles: equity, transparency, cooperation," he said.
At the same time, Shivakumar said, the cooperation must be reciprocal and Karnataka's lawful share under tribunal awards and timely completion of projects benefiting its farmers must be protected.
Shivakumar said he would place Karnataka's position on the Krishna, Upper Bhadra and interlinking of rivers before the Council.
He also highlighted the state’s contribution to aerospace, coffee and emerging technologies, Shivakumar said Karnataka accounted for 42 per cent of India’s software exports, hosted around 1,100 Global Capability Centres and attracted over 21 per cent of India’s FDI equity inflows between 2019 and 2025.
The state, with 5.5 per cent of India's population, contributes about nine per cent to the country's GDP, he said.
"Pride demands fairness in return. We have always done our part. We contribute, we build, we grow, and we carry the nation forward. All we ask from the Union Government is this: please care as much as we share," he said.
According to him, Karnataka's share in the divisible pool under the 15th Finance Commission had fallen from 4.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent, which resulted in an estimated loss of ₹65,000 crore to the state over six years.
He also pointed out that the 15th Finance Commission's recommended special grant of ₹5,495 crore and state-specific grants of ₹6,000 crore had not been released.
Welcoming the increase in Karnataka's share to 4.131 per cent under the 16th Finance Commission, Shivakumar said the state's share should ultimately be restored to 4.7 per cent.
"Karnataka is the second largest contributor to GST and to Income Tax, and a state that performs on growth and revenue deserves to be incentivised, not penalised," he said.
He urged the Centre to compensate Karnataka through additional projects, including the Bengaluru-Mumbai high-speed rail project, STRR South, an AIIMS in Raichur and a special package for Kalyana Karnataka.
The CM also flagged concerns relating to healthcare financing, education and nutrition, financial inclusion and support for farmers, among other issues.
Also, he urged the Centre to reconsider the Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) Bill, 2026, contending that it affected the states' right to tax major minerals.
He also called for stronger laws and enforcement against drug trafficking, saying those profiting from the trade should face “swift and stringent prosecution”.
"These are not isolated demands. They concern the larger question of how we make cooperative federalism work better for our people," Shivakumar said.
"Karnataka has not come here to complain. We come as a partner in the Indian story. All we ask in return is fairness," he added.
"Walk with us. Fund us fairly. And give the south its due. And we will continue to give India its future," Shivakumar said.