Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday raised concerns over the upcoming delimitation process, warning that it could have significant consequences for democracy, national unity, and federalism. "When there is a census in 2026 or after, the new delimitation that will follow may end the arrangement under which for 50 years we have had the freezing of parliamentary constituencies,” he said, stressing that the issue raises “some very serious questions.”
Tharoor pointed to a potential shift in political power, asking, “What happens if the north Indian Hindi-speaking states suddenly have a 2/3rd majority and can pass amendments? Will the South feel disenfranchised?”
He also cautioned that basing parliamentary seat allocation on current population figures could have unpredictable long-term effects. “Population keeps changing. It’s going to go up and it is also going to go down later in the century. If you now take picture of the kind of population we now have in the country and allocate parliamentary seats, what could be the long-term consequences for our democracy, national unity, and federalism? Some concerns and solutions need to be discussed,” he said.
The delimitation issue has triggered sharp reactions, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where Chief Minister MK Stalin has called for a Joint Action Committee comprising MPs and party representatives from southern states. At an all-party meeting, Stalin proposed that if the number of parliamentary seats increases, it should be based on the 1971 Census. He insisted that the 1971 Census should also serve as the basis for delimitation for 30 years from 2026.
The ruling DMK, which has consistently opposed delimitation, argues that the process could reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament. Stalin questioned whether Tamil Nadu was being punished for its success in population control. The AIADMK, Congress, Left parties, and actor-politician Vijay’s TVK participated in the meeting, while the BJP, Tamil nationalist NTK, and Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) boycotted it.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, however, rejected concerns that Tamil Nadu would lose parliamentary seats due to delimitation. Responding to Stalin’s claim that the state could lose eight Lok Sabha seats, Shah asserted, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear in the Lok Sabha that even after delimitation, the seats of none of the states of the South will be decreased.”