The Joint Action Committee on Fair Delimitation, which met in Chennai on Saturday, unanimously adopted a resolution stating that any future delimitation exercise undertaken by the Centre must be carried out transparently, with full consultation and deliberation taking all stakeholders into account.
In this article, let’s delve into the issues of delimitation and find out how things would be affected and why the southern states are so concerned.
What is delimitation?
Delimitation is the process of redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect population changes. The idea is to ensure that each constituency has roughly the same number of people living in it.
Delimitation is also directly linked to size. States with larger populations get more representatives in Parliament than States with smaller populations.
The Constitution says…
The Constitution lays clear guidelines for the delimitation process through Articles 82 and 170.
Article 82: After each national census, Parliament must pass a Delimitation Act to redefine the boundaries and number of Lok Sabha constituencies.
Article 170: This governs the delimitation of State Legislative Assemblies, determining the number of seats in each state based on population data.
As per the Election Commission of India, "Delimitation literally means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body. The job of delimitation is assigned to a high-power body. Such a body is known as Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission.
Delimitation executed in the past
Delimitation has taken place in India four times - 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002.
Until 1976, after every Census, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Assembly seats were redistributed across the country. However, during the 1976 emergency, Indira Gandhi's government froze seat allocation to ensure that states with successful family planning policies did not lose representation. This decision was formalised through the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, which halted any change in the number of Parliamentary and Assembly seats until after the 2001 Census.
However, in 2001, when the constituency boundaries were redrawn, the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies remained unchanged, primarily due to Opposition from southern states.
After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Centre would undertake two major tasks - the national census and the delimitation exercise.
How will delimitation impact?
Delimitation will reshape parliamentary seats based on population. While north Indian states will gain more seats, southern states may see minimal changes, with Tamil Nadu expected to be among the most affected.
It may be noted that by 2026, India's population is expected to reach 1.42 billion and thus in the south, Karnataka may see an increase from 28 to 36 seats, Telangana from 17 to 20, Andhra Pradesh from 25 to 28 and Tamil Nadu from 39 to 41. Kerala, with the slowest population growth, may lose a seat, dropping from 20 to 19.
Meanwhile, in the north, Uttar Pradesh could see its seats rise from 80 to 128, and Bihar from 40 to 70.
SHAH SPEAK
Even as Union Minister Amit Shah addressed concerns over delimitation in southern states, assuring that it would not lead to a reduction in their parliamentary seats, there is considerable amount of heartburn. He said on February 26, "I want to reassure the people of South India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept your interest in mind and will make sure that not even one seat is reduced. And whatever increase is there, southern states will get a fair share, there is no reason to doubt this."
The next delimitation exercise is expected after 2026, following the completion of the next population census. For a fair representation, the process aims to balance the population-to-MP ratio across constituencies. This factor has left Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states worried. The DMK argues that the South Indian states have successfully implemented population control measures, as a result, it could lose political clout.
Why Are Southern States opposing?
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka are worried because the delimitation on population will disproportionately benefit states in the north, which have higher population growth rates. For instance, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan are projected to gain significantly more Lok Sabha seats due to their larger populations. In contrast, southern states, which have achieved lower fertility rates through effective family planning policies, may see their representation stagnate or even decline.
DEBATE UPON FOLLOWING TOPICS
Federalism and Fair Representation: Southern states argue that delimitation based solely on population undermines the principles of cooperative federalism. They strongly feel that factors like economic contribution, tax revenue, and development indicators should also be considered in determining representation.
Population Control Policies: States that have successfully controlled population growth fear they will be disadvantaged. Tamil Nadu, for instance, has one of the lowest fertility rates in India, a result of decades of investment in education, healthcare, and family planning. Critics argue that rewarding states with higher population growth could disincentivise such efforts.
Political Power Shift: The potential increase in seats for northern states could shift the balance of power in the Lok Sabha, giving them greater influence over national policies. This has raised concerns about the marginalization of southern states in decision-making processes.
Constitutional Challenges: The current cap of 543 Lok Sabha seats, set by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, may need to be revisited if delimitation leads to a significant increase in the number of constituencies. This could require constitutional amendments and broader political consensus.
However, the goal is to ensure equal representation by maintaining similar population sizes across constituencies.
Flashback
Pre-1976: After the Censuses of 1951, 1961, and 1971, seats in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and state Assemblies were redistributed.
42nd Amendment (1976): During the Emergency, Parliament froze the total number of seats until the 2001 Census to prevent states with higher population growth from losing representation while implementing family planning measures.
2001 Delimitation: While constituency boundaries were redrawn, the number of seats remained unchanged due to opposition from southern states.
Impact on Lok Sabha
The number of seats each state receives after delimitation will depend on the base average population that a future delimitation commission establishes.
In 1977, each MP represented an average of 10.11 lakh people. Ideally, constituencies should be evenly distributed around this average.
(Robin Roy is a senior journalist and former Senior Associate Editor,
O Heraldo, Goa)