The image shows the Indian Parliament chamber with MPs engaged in discussions during the Budget Session.
Hyderabad: All states are likely to see a 50 per cent increase in their representation in the Lok Sabha after the proposed delimitation exercise, amid concerns that population-based redistribution could affect the relative strength of some regions, especially southern states that have managed population control better than the rest of the country.
According to a report by The Hindu, a senior government functionary said that the apprehensions would be clarified by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament during discussions on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill.
The Union government has proposed increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 members through The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill, 2026, to be taken up during a special session of Parliament on April 16 and 17.
Under the proposed amendment to Article 81, a maximum of 815 members will be chosen from states, with not more than 35 members to be chosen from Union Territories (UT).
The development comes amid concerns raised by several states, particularly in southern India, that they could lose relative representation if Lok Sabha seats are reapportioned based on the latest population figures.
The report stated that the Centre has assured that the total strength of the Lok Sabha would be increased by 50 per cent and distributed across states in their existing proportions. This would mean that each state’s seat count would rise proportionately. For instance, Tamil Nadu’s 39 seats could increase to 58, while Kerala’s 20 seats may go up to 30.
However, the draft Bill released by the government has raised fears, since they contain clauses that provide for seat redistribution among different states, which might change the current status quo.
Quoting the senior official, the report clarified that such fear stems from a misinterpretation of the provision, adding that the government’s position was consistent and more information will become clear when the debate takes place in Parliament.
Delimitation is a politically sensitive topic, particularly for southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana, where the population growth rate has been lower than that of several northern states.
Leaders in these regions fear that the process of population-based redistribution of seats might result in lesser representation of these states in Parliament. Southern states argue that they should not be penalised in the delimitation exercise for successfully implementing population control measures over the decades.
States such as Tamil Nadu
, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh were among the early adopters of the Centre’s family planning programmes, leading to lower population growth rates compared to several northern states.Leaders from these regions have pointed out that a purely population-based redistribution of Lok Sabha seats could effectively reduce their representation, despite their better performance in controlling population growth and improving social indicators.
This post was last modified on April 15, 2026 5:38 pm