Delimitation in India:
The delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies has once again become a major political issue as the Centre seeks to revive its proposed electoral reforms ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
- Delimitation is the process of fixing or redrawing the boundaries of territorial constituencies for the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies to ensure that each seat represents a roughly equal number of voters.
- Objective: To operationalize the democratic principle of “one person, one vote, one value” by adjusting boundaries as population densities shift over time.
- Determines reserved constituencies for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), ensuring political representation of marginalised communities.
- Article 82 mandates Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act after each census, readjusting Lok Sabha seat allocation to States and dividing States into territorial constituencies.
- Article 170 provides for a similar readjustment of seats and constituencies in State Legislative Assemblies.
- This ‘delimitation process’ is performed by the ‘Delimitation Commission’ that is set up under an act of Parliament.
- The primary objective of delimitation is to uphold the democratic principle of “One Person, One Vote, One Value”.
- However, strictly applying this principle based on current population data will severely penalize Southern states (like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh).
- These states successfully implemented national family planning policies and stabilized their populations.
- Conversely, states in the Hindi heartland (like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan) with historically higher population growth rates stand to gain a massive influx of new Lok Sabha seats.
- This could shift political power towards the North, reducing the South’s influence over national policies, constitutional amendments and resource allocation.
- The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, linked to the next delimitation exercise.
- This creates a challenge as women’s reservation is widely supported, while population-based delimitation faces strong federal concerns, particularly from southern States.
- Linking the two could delay women’s reservation if consensus on delimitation remains elusive.
- According to Articles 81 and 82, delimitation is contingent upon the publication of the first Census taken after 2026.
- However, the decadal 2021 Census was delayed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Attempts by the Union Government (via the failed Delimitation Bill of 2026 alongside the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026) to bypass this delay by using the outdated 2011 Census for delimitation triggered intense political mistrust among opposition states.
- The delimitation process is historically time-consuming, with the previous Commission, constituted in 2002 after the 2001 Census, submitting recommendations that were implemented only in 2008 for the 2009 elections.
- However, the 2027 Census is fully digitalised, potentially allowing faster completion. If the exercise is not completed before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, it could extend into the next government’s tenure, as seen during the previous delimitation cycle.
- The present elected strength is 543, while Article 81 permits up to 550 seats. The defeated 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2026, proposed raising the constitutional ceiling to 850 seats.
- A larger Lok Sabha could accommodate population growth but may also create significant logistical, administrative and deliberative challenges.
- A significantly larger Lok Sabha means less time for individual Members of Parliament (MPs) to speak, debate bills, or raise matters of public importance. Maintaining order and managing disruptions in a much larger legislative body will be a formidable task.
- Gerrymandering and Sub-Nationalism: Delimitation is not just about allocating seats between states, but also drawing the boundaries of constituencies within states.
- This opens the door to potential gerrymandering – manipulating electoral boundaries to favor a specific political party (through tactics like “cracking” and “packing” voter demographics).
- Spreading an opposing party’s supporters across constituencies so they remain a minority in each, reducing their chances of winning seats.
- Concentrating opposing supporters in a few constituencies, where excess votes are wasted, allowing the rival party to win more seats elsewhere.
- Because delimitation fundamentally alters political destinies, any perceived unfairness can inflame sub-nationalism and regional grievances, leading to deep political ramifications and protests.
