Chennai, April 15 (IANS). DMK, the main political party of Tamil Nadu, has raised its voice against the proposed delimitation exercise of the Central Government. The aim of delimitation is to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats based on population growth, which has raised concerns in the southern states.
According to the 1971 census, when India’s population was approximately 550 million, the current strength of the Lok Sabha is 543 members.
Now that the population has crossed 1.4 billion, the central government is planning to expand parliamentary representation through a new delimitation process.
According to reports, the proposed Delimitation Amendment Bill aims to increase the number of Lok Sabha MPs from 543 to around 850 while increasing the representation from Union Territories from 20 to 35.
The bill is expected to be introduced during a special session of Parliament to be held in the coming three days. Southern states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have strongly opposed the move, arguing that it will harm areas that have successfully implemented population control measures.
They fear that redistribution of seats based on population will disproportionately benefit northern states like Uttar Pradesh, where population growth rates have been high.
According to reports, the central government is also considering delimiting based on 2011 census or earlier data instead of waiting for census after 2026 as mandated under the Delimitation Amendment Act of 2002, further escalating the controversy.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it will reduce the state’s representation in Parliament and harm federal principles.
He warned that if the central government goes ahead with this plan, his party will launch a big movement and the old DMK will be seen again. On the other hand, Edappadi K. Palaniswami played down the concerns, saying the delimitation process would not have any adverse impact on Tamil Nadu.
According to estimates, Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha seats may increase from the current 39 to around 50 while Uttar Pradesh’s representation may increase from 80 to around 143, which will change the balance of power in Parliament to a great extent.
Meanwhile, the central government is also planning to introduce the Women’s Reservation Bill along with the delimitation proposal, which aims to implement 33 percent reservation for women in the 2029 general elections.
–IANS
SAK/PM
