Delimitation fears: South may lose to North in Lok Sabha expansion

Congress MP Manickam Tagore flagged concerns that the planned Lok Sabha delimitation based on the 2011 census will push southern states to the political margins by giving a disproportionately high number of new seats to northern states.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday raised concerns over the long due delimitation exercise, flagging a risk of southern states being "pushed to political margins" as the northern states may gain more seats in Lok Sabha expansion.

According to sources, the Centre has planned to take the 2011 census is to be the basis for delimitation and seat redistribution, in an attempt to implement the 2023's Nari Shakti Vandan Act for women's reservation in the Parliament. Currently, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. With a proposed 50 per cent increase, the number of seats will rise to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.

North vs South: A Widening Gap?

Manickam Tagore, in an X post, estimated that the northern states may gain about 200 seats, as compared to 66 in the southern states. He noted that the uniform increase, with the idea of 'one person, one vote' sounds fair, however, states with higher population will gain more seats in the Lok Sabha.

Backing Tamil Nadu and Telangana Chief Ministers' criticism of delimitation exercise, the Congress MP wrote, "The proposed Lok Sabha expansion is not just about adding seats -- it's about who gains power and who gets pushed aside. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin raised it. As highlighted by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy garu, Uttar Pradesh: 80 → 120 seats, Telangana: 17 → 26 seats."

"The gap widens from 63 to 94 seats. Now look at the larger picture: Southern States gain 66 seats (129 → 195), Northern States gain ~200 seats. 200 vs 66 -- who is really gaining power? This is where the concern begins," he added.

Fears of 'Structural Disadvantage'

Highlighting a "structural disadvantage" for southern states, he added, "A 'uniform' increase may sound fair, but in reality: States with higher population automatically gain more seats. States that controlled population growth get relatively less. The balance of power shifts heavily toward the Hindi belt. This is why many in the South feel this is not just policy, but structural disadvantage. While the government led by Narendra Modi and ideological backing from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh may argue this is about population-based representation, the impact tells a different story."

Further, he stated that the Parliament should not be a reflection of "bias" among the states. "Democracy is not just 'one person, one vote'. It is also about fair representation of all regions. If numbers alone decide power, Northern States gain over 200 additional seats, Southern States risk being pushed to the political margins. India is a Union of States -- not a system where some dominate, and others are reduced to spectators. Representation must not punish progress. Parliament must reflect balance -- not bias," the X post read.

Legislative Context and Future Implications

As per the sources, the Centre planned to move an amendment in the Nari Shakti Vandan Act and a Delimitation Bill. If the Bill in moved and passed, it be India's biggest democratic shift since independence, giving the country 273 women MPs by 2029.

The 2029 general elections will see contests on 816 Lok Sabha seats, changing the majority mark from 272 (for 543 seats) to 409.

Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in the country. The Delimitation Commissions have been constituted four times - in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002. The number of seats remained unchanged at 543 in 2002. India witnessed the last Lok Sabha expansion in 1973.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin also raised concerns over reports suggesting that women's representation in Parliament and State Assemblies may be implemented based on the 2011 Census. He called for "right to fair delimitation." (ANI)

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