Delimitation: Southern Discomfort Amid Centre's Assurances

Southern States have consistently protested against a delimitation, or redistribution of parliamentary seats based on population, as it would considerably reduce their political power in Parliament. Political leaders in the southern States, including Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, often allege that the southern states are being penalised for their achievements in population control. However, Home Minister Amit Shah바카라™s recent statement that the southern states would not lose the number of seats in Lok Sabha on a pro-rata basis has become a point of debate in southern States.  

On February 26, 2025, Amit Shah addressed the issue while inaugurating the BJP party office in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He reassured the public that no southern state, including Tamil Nadu, would lose any parliamentary seats due to delimitation. Instead, he emphasised that these states would gain constituencies on a pro-rata basis, reflecting population growth. Shah accused Stalin of spreading misinformation and misleading the public about potential seat reductions. Amit Shah바카라™s statement came a day after Stalin바카라™s announcement of an all-party meeting on 5 March to discuss the issue of delimitation and the loss of southern states. However, Amit Shah바카라™s reference to the DMK Government as 바카라˜anti national바카라™ has sparked a huge controversy in the State amidst heated debates over Hindi imposition and the non-delivery of due share of taxes to the State. 

While talking to the Press on 25 February, Stalin referred to delimitation as a 바카라˜sword hanging over the head of South India바카라™. He also added that the State was all prepared for a 바카라˜language war바카라™. (Dravidian politics has a strong foundation in the anti-Hindi struggle that happened in the early 20th century). He expressed the concern that delimitation would result in the loss of 8 seats at least in the Lok Sabha. The number would be reduced to 31 from the present 39, which would also weaken the State바카라™s negotiation power in the Parliament. 

The discourse on delimitation has a long history of constitutional amendments and legal stays. Article 82 of the Indian constitution empowers Parliament to readjust the allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha after every census. It ensures that the number of seats assigned to each state is proportional to its population, as far as possible. Article 170 allows states to divide their territories into constituencies for their Legislative Assemblies based on population changes. Article 329(a) prevents judicial review of the laws passed by the Parliament with regard to delimitation.  

The 42nd amendment of the Constitution passed in 1976 had frozen the delimitation exercise until the next census to be conducted in 2000. The 84th amendment passed in 2001 extended the freeze to a period until after census conducted after 2026.  

As the law of delimitation remains the same as one based on population, the question is how the Home Minister would keep his promise that there would be no loss for southern states. The population growth rate has come considerably low in southern states according to the latest family health survey. In these circumstances, the question on how to compensate the southern states remains valid.