Delimitation won’t reduce South’s influence: Union Home Minister Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise, asserting that the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha would not decrease but instead increase. Responding to Opposition allegations that states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana could be adversely affected, he presented state-wise projections to demonstrate that their share of seats would rise both in absolute numbers and proportionally.

Shah stated that states including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu would all see an increase in parliamentary representation. He dismissed claims of regional disadvantage as a "false narrative," and reassured citizens, particularly in Tamil Nadu, that their political influence would remain intact or improve.

Highlighting specific figures, Shah noted that Tamil Nadu currently has 39 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, accounting for 7.18 per cent representation. After a proposed 50 per cent increase in total seats, the state's MPs would rise to around 59 in a House of about 816 members, slightly increasing its share to 7.23 per cent. Similarly, Kerala's representation would grow from 20 to 30 MPs, maintaining nearly the same percentage share.

He further explained that Karnataka's MPs would increase from 28 to 42, Andhra Pradesh's from 25 to 38, and Telangana's from 17 to 26. Overall, the southern states currently contribute 129 MPs, or about 23.76 per cent of the Lok Sabha. After expansion, this would rise to approximately 195 MPs, keeping their representation close to 24 per cent. Shah emphasised that this demonstrates no loss of influence for the region.

During the debate, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, while Shah also brought forward the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Addressing another major issue, Shah clarified that the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming census, countering Opposition claims that the government was avoiding it.

He also explained that the Lok Sabha's proposed expansion to around 816 seats (often rounded to 850) is linked to implementing 33 per cent reservation for women. Importantly, he added that all elections up to 2029 would continue under the existing seat structure, ensuring no immediate disruption. (IANS)

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