Congress Flags South’s Representation Concerns in Delimitation

According to sources, the Center plans to use the 2011 Census as basis for delimitation and redistribution of seats to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill, 2023 on reserved seats for women in Parliament. Currently the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. The proposed 50 percent increase would increase the number of seats to 816, of which 273 (about a third) would be reserved for women.

In a post on X, Manickam Tagore predicted that the northern states could win around 200 seats while the southern states could win 66 seats. He noted that while a uniform increase based on the principle of ‘one person, one vote’ might seem fair, states with higher population would get more seats in the Lok Sabha.

Supporting the criticism of Tamil Nadu and Telangana Chief Ministers, he wrote: “The proposed Lok Sabha expansion is not just about adding seats – it is about who gains power and who is sidelined. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin raised this. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy garu, Uttar Pradesh: 80 → 120 seats, Telangana: 17 → 26 seats.”

“The gap widens from 63 seats to 94 seats. Now look at the bigger picture: Southern States gain 66 seats (129 → 195), Northern States gain ~200 seats. 200 to 66 — who’s actually gaining power? This is where the anxiety begins,” he added.

Highlighting a “structural disadvantage” for southern states, he said a uniform increase may seem fair but actually benefits more populous states and shifts the balance of power towards the Indian belt.

He also emphasized that Parliament should not reflect regional biases. “Democracy is not just ‘one person, one vote’. It is also about fair representation of all regions. If the ruling party decides on numbers alone, the Southern States risk being pushed to the political margins if the Northern States win more than 200 additional seats. India is a Union of States; not a system where some dominate and others are reduced to spectators,” the post said.

According to sources, the Center is planning to bring an amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act along with a Limitation Bill. If approved, it would mark one of India’s biggest democratic shifts since independence, potentially resulting in 273 women MPs by 2029. The 2029 general elections could be held for 816 Lok Sabha seats and the majority score could be increased from 272 to 409.

Delimitation is the process of determining the boundaries of territorial constituencies. Delimitation Commissions were created four times in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The number of Lok Sabha seats remained unchanged at 543 since 2002; the last expansion occurred in 1973.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin had also expressed concern over reports in Parliament and State Assemblies suggesting that reservations for women may be implemented based on the 2011 Census. He called for the “right to fair delimitation.”