Delimitation’s Impact on Southern States

February 28, 2025

The issue of delimitation in India has resurfaced, raising concerns among southern states. Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that no southern state would lose parliamentary seats. This statement addresses fears stemming from slower population growth in the South compared to the North. The delimitation process is crucial for adjusting parliamentary representation based on the latest census data.

What Is Delimitation?

Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of electoral constituencies.
It is mandated by the Constitution after each census to ensure equal representation.
The last major delimitation occurred in 2001. The 42nd Amendment froze the number of seats until 2001 to prevent over-representation of high-growth states.

Historical Context

Delimitation has been conducted three times in India, based on the 1951, 1961, and 1971 censuses. After 1976, the number of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats was frozen. The aim was to allow states with higher population growth to manage family planning without losing representation.

Constitutional Provisions

According to Article 82, Parliament passes a Delimitation Act after every Census.
According to Article 170, states are also divided into voting areas (territorial constituencies) based on the Delimitation Act after each Census.

Concerns of Southern States

Southern states fear that new delimitation based on the latest census will reduce their representation. Tamil Nadu and Kerala have experienced slower population growth, leading to apprehensions about losing seats. Political leaders from these states have expressed concerns that their voices may be undermined.

Population Trends and Projections

Population trends indicate that states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will gain from delimitation. For example, Uttar Pradesh’s seats could increase from 85 to 250. In contrast, Tamil Nadu’s representation may remain stagnant, and Kerala could lose seats.

Electoral Implications

The potential shift in parliamentary representation could favour northern parties, particularly the BJP. Southern parties worry that this could skew electoral outcomes. The Congress party has also expressed concerns, as its performance in northern states has declined in recent decades.

Future Considerations

The delimitation process will depend on the average population per constituency. If the average is set at 15 lakh, southern states may see modest increases. However, the overall distribution will likely favour populous northern states, leading to continued disparities.

Global Context

United States:

The House of Representatives (similar to Lok Sabha) has had a fixed 435 seats since 1913.
Despite the population increasing from 9.4 crore (1911) to 33.4 crore (2023), the number of seats remains the same.
Seats are redistributed among states after every Census using the ‘method of equal proportion’, ensuring minimal changes.
Example: In the 2020 Census, 37 states had no change in their number of seats.

European Union (EU):

The EU Parliament has 720 members, with seats divided among 27 countries based on ‘degressive proportionality’.
Larger populations get more seats, but with a lower ratio of seats per person.
Example:
- Denmark (60 lakh people) → 15 seats (1 seat per 4 lakh people).
- Germany (8.3 crore people) → 96 seats (1 seat per 8.6 lakh people).

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