Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin addresses the Joint Action Committee meeting for Fair Delimitation, in Chennai on March 22.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The issue of readjustment of Lok Sabha seats in the context of the new Census is being hotly debated in the country. In fact, it is being wrongly referred to as delimitation in all public debates.
Delimitation is the act of fixing or refixing the boundaries of constituencies. This is done by the Delimitation Commission only after the Census is taken. Under Article 82 of the Constitution, on the completion of each Census, the seats in the Lok Sabha are required to be readjusted so as to reflect the increased population in the number of seats. The present strength of the Lok Sabha was fixed on the basis of the decennial Census figures of 1971. The total population of India in 1971 was around 54.79 crore which is estimated to have gone up to 141 crore as of March 2025. Thus, during the past 50 years there has been a phenomenal increase in India’s population. This has not reflected in the strength of the Lok Sabha, as the number of seats have been frozen at the population level of 1971 till 2026, through an amendment of the Constitution.
Various formulae
The most important point to remember is that much of the increase in the population of the country was due to the failure of some of the major States in the north, such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in implementing the national policy on population control. The result is an abnormal increase in the population of these States. For example, the population of Uttar Pradesh in 1971, was a little over 8.38 crore which is estimated to have gone up to 24.1 crore in 2025. Similarly, the population of Bihar was 4.21 crore in 1971, which has probably reached 13.1 crore in 2025. The idea behind not raising the strength of the Lok Sabha till 2026 was to give time to the States, which were registering huge increases in population, to stabilise it so that the readjustment of seats would not create a serious imbalance between States in southern and northern India.
The southern States could implement the population program successfully and arrest the growth in population. In 1971, the ratio between the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to a State and its population was almost the same for all the States. Thus, in all major States the population base was 10 lakh for a Lok Sabha constituency. However, the picture has now changed drastically. If the formula contained in Article 81 is followed now, it will create a huge divergence in the number of seats between the northern States and southern States. For example, for a population of 24 crore, Uttar Pradesh will be entitled to 240 seats which will be a threefold increase from the present 80 seats. Whereas a State like Kerala, will only get 36 seats in place of the 20 seats at present as its population is estimated to have increased by only 68% over the past 50 years. If on the other hand, the population to seat ratio is changed to 15 lakh per constituency, Uttar Pradesh will get 160 seats in place of 80, whereas Kerala may get only a few seats more than the present 20 seats. Incidentally, Kerala is being cited as an example because it has registered the lowest growth in population among all major States.
There is another calculation which produces interesting results. The population of the country in 1952, was 372 million (37.2 crore) and the total number of Lok Sabha seats was 489. This works out to an average of 7.6 lakh people in a parliamentary constituency. In 1971, the population was 54.8 crore and the total number of Lok Sabha seats was raised to 543 which works out to one million (10 lakh) people in a constituency. The readjustment of seats was done as per the mandate of Article 82 of the Constitution which will have to be repeated after 2026. Assuming that the strength of the Lok Sabha is going to be raised from the present 543 to 800 (the capacity of the Lok Sabha chamber in the new Parliament is reported to be above 800), the average population of a parliamentary constituency will be nearly 18 lakh. If this figure is taken as the population base of a constituency for readjustment, then Kerala may retain the same number of seats, Tamil Nadu will gain a mere four seats where as Uttar Pradesh will gain as much as 54 seats.
Rewarding incompetence
There are serious apprehensions in the south on the question of readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha. Although the Union Government has remained silent on it so far, unofficial discussions on certain formula are reportedly being held in some quarters. The State of Tamil Nadu, under the leadership of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has powerfully articulated the fears of the States in the southern region about losing political importance in the event of a readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha. The recent conclave of southern Chief Ministers and other political leaders, including the Chief Minister of Punjab, held in Chennai is a pointer to the possibility of this issue becoming a major rallying point for southern States. Therefore, there is an urgent need to devise a rational formula for the readjustment of seats in Lok Sabha.
Articles 81 and 82 clearly show that readjustment of seats is done solely on the basis of population. So, a solution to this vexed problem can be found on the basis of what population base can be accepted for readjusting seats. The problem has arisen because of the huge increase of population in a large number of States due to the non-implementation of family planning programs. Equity demands that States which failed to implement population control programs not be rewarded with an increase of seats which give them great political advantage.
Ideal solution
In these circumstances, a fair formula for readjustment of seats would be to take the State which has registered the lowest increase in population as the template. Figures show that Kerala is the State in the south which has registered the lowest growth in population since 1971. The population of Kerala was 2.14 crore in 1971, which is estimated to have gone up to 3.6 crore in 2025 which is an increase of 68%. This can be considered a reasonable growth in population for the last 50 years. So a 68% step-up in the number of seats in all States can be a reasonable basis for readjustment. This will, on the one hand, maintain the present equation among the States in terms of seats and on the other obviate the need to abnormally raise the number of seats in the States which are remiss in controlling the population. So, under this formula, Uttar Pradesh will get 134 seats, Kerala 34 and Tamil Nadu around 66 seats. This way the present equation among States in terms of seats will remain unchanged. A 68% step-up in seats will raise the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 912.
Of course, this formula will make Article 81(2)(a), which says that the ratio between the number of seats and the population of a State shall be the same for all the States, irrelevant. In fact, it had become irrelevant long back — a formula that was laid down in 1950 will cause serious injustice in 2026. The allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha is not a political issue — it needs to be done on the basis of the constitutional principle of equity. It is bound with the bargaining power of the federating units or groups of such units situated in various geographical regions. A sensitive approach is necessary to deal with this issue. Article 1 of the Constitution proclaims that India shall be a Union of States. The term Union implies that the arrangement of the component units should be on the basis of equity in terms of its share in Parliament. We should try to live up to the implications of this constitutional scheme.
P.D.T. Achary is Former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha.
Published – April 08, 2025 08:30 am IST