The Crossbill Team
A day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin termed the proposed delimitation exercise a "sword" hanging over southern states, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reassured that no state in the region would lose parliamentary seats.
Addressing a rally in Coimbatore on Wednesday, Shah asserted that the Modi government had made its stance clear in the Lok Sabha that the delimitation process would not lead to a reduction in the number of seats for southern states.
"Chief Minister M K Stalin has now taken up a new issue. He is lying to the people of Tamil Nadu that the number of Parliament seats for the southern states in Parliament will reduce post-delimitation. The Modi government has told Parliament that no state will lose seats. Tamil Nadu and other southern states will not lose even one seat on a pro rata basis," Deccan Herald quoted Shah as saying.
Despite Shah’s reassurance, concerns persist in southern states over the impact of delimitation. While their populations have grown at a slower pace due to effective population control measures, the northern states, experiencing higher population growth, are expected to gain more seats, potentially shifting the balance of representation in Parliament.
On Monday, Stalin announced an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the issue, stating, "Tamil Nadu is compelled to wage a major battle for its rights. We are inviting over 40 registered political parties from the state to participate."
Why Delimitation?
Delimitation is a constitutional exercise undertaken after each Census to adjust parliamentary and assembly constituencies in proportion to population changes. Until 1976, seats were redistributed after every Census.
However, through the 42nd Amendment during the Emergency, the total number of parliamentary and assembly seats was frozen to prevent states with lower population growth from losing representation.
In 2001, constituency boundaries were redrawn, but the number of seats remained unchanged due to resistance from southern states.
Southern States’ Apprehensions
States in peninsular India fear that a fresh delimitation based on recent population data could dilute their parliamentary representation, reducing their political influence.
During the Women’s Reservation Bill debate in September 2023, DMK MP Kanimozhi raised concerns that Tamil Nadu could see a significantly smaller increase in seats compared to states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Leaders across the political spectrum have raised alarms over the issue. Last year, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu even suggested incentivizing larger families to counter the demographic shift. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin sarcastically remarked, "Why not aim for 16 children?" to highlight the issue.
Meanwhile, right-wing organizations have also acknowledged the potential impact of lower birth rates in southern and western states. An editorial in RSS-affiliated magazine The Organiser last year raised concerns of a "regional imbalance" in the delimitation process, stating that southern and western states could face disadvantages due to their success in population control.
Addressing a rally in Coimbatore on Wednesday, Shah asserted that the Modi government had made its stance clear in the Lok Sabha that the delimitation process would not lead to a reduction in the number of seats for southern states.
"Chief Minister M K Stalin has now taken up a new issue. He is lying to the people of Tamil Nadu that the number of Parliament seats for the southern states in Parliament will reduce post-delimitation. The Modi government has told Parliament that no state will lose seats. Tamil Nadu and other southern states will not lose even one seat on a pro rata basis," Deccan Herald quoted Shah as saying.
Despite Shah’s reassurance, concerns persist in southern states over the impact of delimitation. While their populations have grown at a slower pace due to effective population control measures, the northern states, experiencing higher population growth, are expected to gain more seats, potentially shifting the balance of representation in Parliament.
On Monday, Stalin announced an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the issue, stating, "Tamil Nadu is compelled to wage a major battle for its rights. We are inviting over 40 registered political parties from the state to participate."
Why Delimitation?
Delimitation is a constitutional exercise undertaken after each Census to adjust parliamentary and assembly constituencies in proportion to population changes. Until 1976, seats were redistributed after every Census.
However, through the 42nd Amendment during the Emergency, the total number of parliamentary and assembly seats was frozen to prevent states with lower population growth from losing representation.
In 2001, constituency boundaries were redrawn, but the number of seats remained unchanged due to resistance from southern states.
Southern States’ Apprehensions
States in peninsular India fear that a fresh delimitation based on recent population data could dilute their parliamentary representation, reducing their political influence.
During the Women’s Reservation Bill debate in September 2023, DMK MP Kanimozhi raised concerns that Tamil Nadu could see a significantly smaller increase in seats compared to states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Leaders across the political spectrum have raised alarms over the issue. Last year, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu even suggested incentivizing larger families to counter the demographic shift. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin sarcastically remarked, "Why not aim for 16 children?" to highlight the issue.
Meanwhile, right-wing organizations have also acknowledged the potential impact of lower birth rates in southern and western states. An editorial in RSS-affiliated magazine The Organiser last year raised concerns of a "regional imbalance" in the delimitation process, stating that southern and western states could face disadvantages due to their success in population control.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment