Central Government urged to reach agreement on redrawing electoral boundaries in Kerala, as per the request of the Chief Minister
In the heart of Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has voiced his concerns about the ongoing discussions regarding Lok Sabha constituency delimitation. His comments come at a time when the balance of political representation across the states is under scrutiny.
Vijayan believes that the central government's argument for distributing additional constituencies to southern Indian states on a pro-rata basis cannot be taken at face value. He argues that reducing proportional representation in Parliament for states that have reduced their populations in line with population control programs would be unfair.
In either case, Vijayan fears that the southern states will suffer a loss of representation. He has emphasized that the central government should decide on Lok Sabha constituency delimitation through consultation and consensus to preserve the essence of democracy and federalism.
The central government has not clarified whether the pro-rata distribution of additional constituencies is based on the percentage of current parliamentary seats or population figures. This lack of clarity has added to Vijayan's concerns.
Vijayan's comments were made in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and his concerns are related to the potential impact of delimitation on the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha. He has emphasized that the delimitation should not reduce the existing proportional share of seats in any state.
The current status of Lok Sabha constituency delimitation in India is that a major nationwide delimitation exercise is scheduled to begin after the first Census conducted post-2026. The Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutional restriction that prohibits delimitation before this Census, rejecting petitions for early delimitation in states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Until then, southern states like Kerala do not presently face changes in their Lok Sabha seat allotments. The allocation of seats remains based on the 1971 Census data, ensuring stability in representation numbers despite demographic changes. However, once the delimitation exercise begins after 2026, constituencies will be redrawn to reflect new population data, potentially affecting the internal boundaries and reserved seats but not necessarily the total number of seats unless there is a constitutional or legislative change.
Specifically for Kerala, this means no immediate change in the number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to the state because delimitation is on hold until after 2026. When delimitation occurs, constituency boundaries in Kerala may be adjusted to align with population shifts identified in the new Census. The principle of proportional representation is maintained so that states with population growth may see changes in seat numbers in the long term—though Kerala’s seat count has been stable under the current freeze.
If the freeze is lifted post-2026, Kerala’s representation may be revisited to ensure parity with population, but political and legal debates often surround such changes. Vijayan has asked the Centre not to punish states that have effectively implemented population control measures.
In conclusion, the ongoing discussions about Lok Sabha constituency delimitation have raised concerns among southern states, particularly Kerala. The central government should be prepared to address these concerns to maintain the balance of political representation and uphold the principles of democracy and federalism.
[1] India Today [2] The Hindu [3] The New Indian Express [4] The Times of India [5] Business Standard
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