Karti Chidambaram warns delimitation will disadvantage southern states

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram argues that a population-based delimitation would be unfair to southern states, disadvantaging them while states like UP and Bihar would see a quantum jump in Lok Sabha seats, a stance he calls 'patently unfair'.

Southern States to be Disadvantaged: Karti Chidambaram

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has said that a delimitation exercise based purely on population would be unfair to southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, and stated that states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could witness a significant rise in the number of Lok Sabha seats.

Speaking to reporters here, Chidambaram said, "Delimitation, if it is purely done on the basis of population, will be very unfair to the southern states, especially to Tamil Nadu. If they are going to do delimitation on the basis of the latest population census, which should be the census which is currently occurring, whose report will come in 2027?"

The Congress MP said that if the Lok Sabha strength is increased and seats are redistributed according to the new census, southern states would be at a disadvantage. "If the 543 seats--Parliament is allowed to have 550 seats--are redistributed according to the new census, the southern states, including Tamil Nadu, will be disadvantaged. The southern states which have implemented family planning will have only a marginal increase in some states, and states like Kerala will, in fact, have a decrease," he said.

"Whereas the states in the Hindi heartland, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, will see a quantum jump. That will be patently unfair, and the delimitation based purely on population in the present strength of the Lok Sabha will be unacceptable," Karti Chidambaram added.

RLM Defends Centre's Proposal

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) national president Upendra Kushwaha defended the Centre's delimitation proposal and rejected the claims of Lok Sabha seats being reduced in South India due to the proposed Bill. "The work that the Government of India is doing regarding delimitation is evident to everyone. People in the South are trying to create a misconception among themselves. They fear that if delimitation takes place, the number of seats there will decrease. However, that is not the case at all," Kushwaha said while speaking to reporters in Patna.

"The number of seats will not decrease anywhere; in fact, under the current proposal, the number of seats across the country will increase to one and a half times the current count," he added.

Link to Women's Reservation Bill

The issue of delimitation is linked to the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill, which was passed by Parliament in 2023 but is set to come into effect after a delimitation exercise based on the next census.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on April 16 with provisions to increase the strength of the Lower House to 850 seats and expedite the implementation of women's reservation. However, the Bill failed to secure the constitutionally required special two-thirds majority of members present and voting in Parliament and was not passed during the extended Budget Session.

Earlier on Sunday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that any move by the government to bring back the delimitation Bill linked to women's reservation would be discussed among opposition parties, and a collective stand would be taken. Kharge said the Congress' position on the issue was clear and maintained that the government should convene an all-party meeting before moving ahead with the proposed legislation.

While the Congress and other opposition parties have supported women's reservation, they have opposed linking it with delimitation and the proposed increase in Lok Sabha seats. The opposition has continuously demanded that women's reservation be delinked from the delimitation exercise.

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