Delimitation Debate: South Indian States Demand Fair Representation in Fight for Parliamentary Equity

The BJP and the Congress have taken distinct approaches to the contentious issue of the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats, even as the Tamil Nadu government has raised the ante sharply, with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin drawing other opposition-ruled States as well into the debate.

While the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit president dismissed the controversy as “mere drama”, the party’s leaders keep asserting that southern States will not lose parliamentary seats in the event of a delimitation exercise. Meanwhile, the Congress has said it is in the process of evolving a national consensus. Both the national parties stand to gain from delimitation based on population, given their presence in the Hindi belt. Meanwhile, other national parties such as the CPI(M) are demanding fair delimitation.

For Stalin, the delimitation exercise scheduled after the freeze on Lok Sabha seats ends in 2026 is a threat that can reduce Tamil Nadu’s seats in the Lok Sabha and thereby damage the State’s clout in crucial decision-making.

Also Read | Opposition ruled States demand transparency in delimitation process

Although the legal position is that the 2026 Census will be the basis of delimitation, he set the ball rolling by first convening a meeting of all political parties in the State and thereafter a conclave of leaders from non-BJP political parties in Chennai.

Stalin later raised the issue for debate in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and announced on March 24: “It was decided that those who participated in the JAC [Joint Action Committee] meeting would seek the Prime Minister’s intervention by meeting him and handing over a letter to him… urging him to protect federalism, democratic rights and political representation.” The next meeting of the JAC will be held in Hyderabad.

What is delimitation?

The delimitation of Lok Sabha seats is an electoral process in which constituency boundaries are redrawn to ensure proportional representation. Historically it has been based on population. At present, there are parliamentary constituencies in India with a population of between 20 lakh and 30 lakh in the Hindi belt. At the other extreme, some constituencies—especially in Union Territories—have populations of around 50,000.

A decision on delimitation at the national level was supposed to be taken in 1971. An amendment in 1976 pushed it to 2001. In 2001, the issue was pushed to 2026 via a constitutional amendment. The reason for the 2001 freeze was to encourage population control measures among the States. This is the main issue that is the bone of contention now as well, with the States that have performed well in population control crying foul that they are being penalised. “Delimitation rewards States that did not manage their population,” Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP P. Wilson said in the Rajya Sabha.

Under the current population figures—India has not conducted its decennial census since 2001—all southern States as well as Odisha and Assam in the east and a few States in the north such as Punjab are likely to lose seats if delimitation is carried out while retaining the number of seats in the Lok Sabha at 543. If the number of seats is increased, these States will lose out in percentage terms.

Resolution opposing reduction in Lok Sabha seats

In Tamil Nadu, a meeting of all political parties in the State was convened on March 5. Setting aside political differences, 58 of the 63 registered political parties in Tamil Nadu passed a resolution opposing any reduction in the State’s share of Lok Sabha seats (currently 7.18 per cent of the total).

The BJP and a few of its allies did not attend the meeting. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is the main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and which usually does not participate in all-party meetings convened by the DMK, made it a point to participate and articulate its views. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, founded by the actor Vijay, was also represented in the meeting.

The all-party meeting demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi give an assurance in Parliament that Tamil Nadu and other southern States would not be penalised. The resolution read: “The Hon’ble Prime Minister must give an unequivocal assurance in Parliament that the 1971 population-based seat allocation will be extended for another 30 years, and a constitutional amendment must be passed to ensure this. If parliamentary seats are increased, Tamil Nadu’s representation must rise proportionally as per the existing framework. No manipulation or dilution of our rightful political voice will be acceptable. Tamil Nadu’s existing percentage of seats, 7.18 per cent of the total, must not be reduced under any circumstances. Tamil Nadu is not against delimitation, but it cannot and will not allow it to be a disguised weapon against progressive States.”

It was at this meeting that it was decided to call for a meeting of the political parties of all the southern States to form a JAC. But realising that States in northern and eastern India also stood to lose seats—in fact, pretty much all of India, barring the nine States in the Hindi heartland—the DMK extended invitations to political parties and leaders from all these States as well.

On March 22, leading politicians from seven States—including Chief Ministers of four States, a former Chief Minister, a Deputy Chief Minister, and representatives from political parties—took part in the JAC meeting in Chennai. They demanded fair delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies when it is taken up and said that the exercise should not punish States that had achieved their population control goals.

“This is a defining moment in our collective journey,” Stalin said at the opening of the JAC meeting. “What started as Tamil Nadu’s initiative has now grown into a national movement, with States across India joining hands to demand fair representation. This is more than a meeting—it is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country. Together, we will achieve fair delimitation.”

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reminded the BJP that “federalism is our sovereign right, not a gift from the Union…. When a State faithfully implements a nationally recognised policy, it deserves special consideration for that very reason. Not only is this consideration being denied, but we are even being penalised for fulfilling our duty to the nation. This is the crux of the current issue,” he explained.

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik addressed the JAC over video conference. He said: “The States of Tamil Nadu Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab, and Odisha, have been very successful… in stabilising population.” Adding that if these States had failed to do so, India would have had a population explosion, he said: “While this has been our contribution to a positive national agenda, towards building a strong India, delimitation based only on population figures will be unfair to the States which have worked hard to reduce their population growth rates in line with national priorities.”

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who shared a detailed note on the issue with the committee, sought unity among the southern States and decried the “demographic penalty” being imposed on them. He said that while large States in north India may have failed to control their populations, the price should not be paid by the better governed States. The JAC unanimously agreed that any delimitation exercise must be transparent, inclusive, and involve all stakeholders. The resolution said: “As the objective of population stabilisation, the intent behind the 42nd, 84th, and 87th Constitutional Amendments, has not yet been achieved, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census must be extended for another 25 years through necessary amendments.”

It further added: “States that have successfully implemented population control should not be penalised. A Co-Committee of MPs will coordinate parliamentary strategies and submit a joint representation to the Hon’ble PM. Resolutions in State assemblies and public mobilisation efforts will be initiated.”

The question of ‘fair delimitation’

There have been various suggestions from representatives of political parties and former bureaucrats to achieve fair delimitation. CPI(M) Central Committee member Thomas Isaac was of the opinion that “either the delimitation must be based on pro-rata seat increase based on current numbers of seats by each State in Parliament” or else the move should be abandoned. “Any attempt to impose a unilateral reordering of Indian political landscape will be detrimental to national unity,” he warned.

In an article in The Indian Express, the CPI leader D. Raja argued that “weightage for population control must be incorporated into the delimitation process”. He was of the opinion that “a delimitation process that tilts the scales disproportionately risks alienating regions that have played a key part in the country’s progress”. Garga Chatterjee, general secretary of the pro-Bengali advocacy organisation Bangla Pokkho, demanded that non-party organisations should also be part of the JAC. In an article that he co-authored, he suggested that one possible solution is to maintain the present strength in the Lok Sabha while increasing the number of seats in State Legislative Assemblies.

Also Read | Joint Action Committee to press for ‘fair delimitation’ 

Despite the massive show in Chennai, Delhi’s English and Hindi cable news television channels ignored the delimitation issue in their evening debates on March 22. Salem Dharanidharan, a spokesperson of the DMK, said that it was appalling that no English/Hindi news channels based out of Delhi organised debates on delimitation on that day. “Looks like the unity exhibited by political parties from seven different States has shaken the Union government,” he said.

It is difficult to dismiss Dharanidharan’s claim because of a very curious incident that happened at the Chennai event. A 39-year-old MP representing Pawan Kalyan’s political party, the Jana Sena, arrived in Chennai on March 21 to participate in the meeting. The MP had even requested for a meeting with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. But inexplicably, the next morning, a few hours before the scheduled start of the meeting at 10:30 am, the MP flew back to Andhra Pradesh. The Jana Sena is part of an alliance in Andhra Pradesh where the BJP calls the shots.

YSR Congress party chief and former Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 22 seeking fair delimitation. Although Jagan had initially agreed to send a representative to the JAC meeting, he later withdrew. The All India Trinamool Congress, too, was conspicuous by its absence. The Trinamool’s excuse was that the party had already taken up one serious issue—the duplication of EPIC cards—and did not want to spread itself thin by taking up another major issue.

The BJP has repeatedly dismissed the concerns raised on delimitation, asserting that there has been no discussion on it so far. The party’s argument is that since the census is yet to be conducted, delimitation will take place only afterwards.

Asked if the party was isolated, BJP State vice president Tirupathy Narayanan said that this was not the case. “We feel that the BJP has become very strong because it is very clear that it is DMK and all others on one side, and the BJP on the other. So, it has definitely been established now that it is DMK versus BJP in Tamil Nadu,” Narayanan told Frontline. “You will also realise that the people are supporting us [the BJP] on many issues. The DMK’s attempts to divert attention from its own governance failures will not succeed,” he added.

While the BJP refuses to be drawn into the debate, the question of what will happen when delimitation is finally taken up remains unanswered. This parliamentary session, like the one before it, did not provide any answers.

The essential problem while resolving a deep-rooted issue such as delimitation is that justice should not only be done but must also be seen to be done.