It is not too late to make the corrections. Instead of plunging headlong into the redistribution of Lok Sabha seats, India can follow a gradual, equitable path. Increased size of state legislatures can be utilized for intra-state representation without disturbing federal balance. North Indian states should be provided 20–30 years to raise their human development indicators before the national representation is redistributed.
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Originally published in NDTV on 10 may '25
Delimitation serves to protect a simple and powerful principle: that every vote should carry the same weight. Delimitation is primarily governed by Articles 82 and 170 of the Indian Constitution, and it defines electoral boundaries to adjust to population changes over time. However, there's a problem: The Indian government has done several censuses since 1971, but the number of Lok Sabha seats is still at 543. Why? Because the Delimitation Act of 1971 has capped how many seats can increase, and that cap is still there.
This freeze was to prevent the high-growing population states from gaining a disproportionate advantage, mainly in the North, when other states were struggling to stabilize population growth and improve human development indicators.
It was estimated that the rapidly increasing population of the Northern states would, over the next 50 years, lift human development indices and ensure equitable development for the entire nation. However, the opposite has occurred; the majority of the northern states remain behind; in fact, the gap has increased further. If delimitation started from scratch today, officials estimate the Lok Sabha to have more than 850 seats. The bulk of the new seats would end up belonging to North Indian states, significantly increasing their political influence and weakening the influence of more developed and better-governed Southern states.
