The issue of delimitation of Lok Sabha seats is becoming a matter of serious concern in South India. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M.K. Stalin called an all -party meeting to increase pressure on the central government on this issue. In this meeting, it was proposed to delimulate the parliamentary constituencies for the next 30 years on the basis of the 1971 census. Also, there was a demand to set up a joint action committee (JAC) by combining all southern states.
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Apart from DMK, other parties including AIADMK, Congress, Left and Vijay’s Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) participated in the meeting. However, BJP, name Tamiller Kachi (NTK) and Tamil Manila Congress (Muupanar) boycotted the meeting.
Stalin appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify the issue in Parliament. He said that if the delimitation process was done on the basis of population, it would be against the rights of the southern states in terms of federalism and political representation. He says that Tamil Nadu is not against delimitation, but the current representation of the state in Parliament should remain 7.18%.
What is the root of delimitation dispute?
South Indian states – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh – are worrying that if the parliamentary seats were delimited on the basis of the latest census, their Lok Sabha seats may decrease. On the other hand, seats are expected to increase in North India, especially in the states of Hindi belt.
The main reason for this is that the southern states have done better in population control over the last few decades, while in North India this pace has been relatively slow. If delimited on the basis of the new census, the representation of the southern states in Parliament may be reduced, which will also limit the opportunities to raise their publicity issues in Parliament. Also, their share in the allocation of economic resources may also decrease.
Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance and the reaction of the states
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently clarified that delimitation on proportional basis would not reduce the parliamentary seats of the southern states. But the leaders of the southern states believe that if the delimitation is based on the latest census, their states will have to suffer losses.
He also argues that even though the total number of seats remains stable, the northern states will benefit and their seats will increase. This is the reason why the southern states are demanding to maintain the 1971 census the basis of delimitation.
When did the delimitation have been done so far?
The delimitation commission in India has so far delimited four times –
- 1952
- 1962
- 1972
- 2002
The current 543 seats of the Lok Sabha were determined on the basis of the 1971 census. The delimitation was banned by 2001 under the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which was later extended to 2026.
According to Article 82 of the Constitution, the next delimitation will be based on the census data only after 2026. But the 2021 census was postponed due to the Kovid-19 epidemic, which could lead to the delimitation process.
