Editorial: Delimitation fears

If the exercise is taken up on the basis of population, then it is bound to result in grave injustice to the southern States

Representative democracy is never a static phenomenon but a dynamic system that needs to respond to the changing needs of people from time to time. The test for the success of democracy lies in how close it can get to the people and how quickly it can adapt itself to the changing dynamics on the ground to meet the aspirations of the people. Delimitation of constituencies is one of the ways to reflect the changing demographic dynamics. However, given the political motives of the current dispensation at the Centre, there are genuine apprehensions over the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha seats after 2026. It could lead to unequal representation in Parliament. If the exercise is taken up on the basis of population, then it is bound to result in grave injustice to the southern States. These States have controlled the population with a progressive set of policies over decades and are likely to suffer severe injustice with the population-based delimitation. The northern States that have ignored the Central government’s population control measures would benefit from the delimitation while those striving to strengthen the national economy would be undermined in the delimitation process. Reports that the NDA government would take up the delimitation process of parliamentary constituencies, if the BJP retains power in 2024 general elections, have caused legitimate concerns. The Lok Sabha chamber in the new Parliament building, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, has thrice the number of seats with enough space for 888 members, and the new Rajya Sabha has the capacity to seat 384 members.

The delimitation exercise at some point in future would lead to a rise in the number of MPs in the country. The 1971 Census serves as the foundation for the current Lok Sabha seat allocation. At present, the lower house of Parliament has 543 seats. According to the 84th Amendment of the Constitution, the constituency borders were frozen until the first census after 2026, or at least until after 2031. The last delimitation exercise that changed the State-wise composition of the Lok Sabha was completed in 1976 and done on the basis of the 1971 census. In the present circumstances, the delimitation, along with a smaller share of central funds to States on the basis of the population, can be unfair to southern States where the economic situation has improved dramatically since the turn of the 21st century. Despite their remarkable progress on all fronts, the southern States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala may end up with fewer seats in the Lok Sabha. It will also affect the division of seats reserved for SCs and STs in each State. Ironically, these States, which account for 18% of the country’s population, contribute nearly 35% to the gross domestic product.

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