Southern States’ Lok Sabha Representation To Rise After Delimitation, Says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed that the representation of southern states in Parliament will not decline following the delimitation exercise. He stressed that their presence in the Lok Sabha will instead grow after the proposed changes.

Shah responded to Opposition allegations that delimitation could adversely affect states such as Tamil Nadu and Telangana and offered a detailed, state-wise explanation of how the plan will be implemented in practice.

The Minister stated that southern states, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, will see an increase in their number of Lok Sabha seats.

State-wise Seat Projections

Shah pointed out that Tamil Nadu currently has 39 Members of Parliament, making up 7.18 per cent of the House. Following a 50 per cent increase, this change will raise the number to approximately 59 seats and slightly increase proportional representation.

In Kerala, representation will increase from 20 to 30 MPs, while Karnataka’s tally will rise from 28 to 42. The plan will increase Andhra Pradesh’s seats from 25 to 38 and Telangana’s from 17 to 26.

The Home Minister noted that the current Lok Sabha includes 129 MPs from southern states, accounting for about 23.76 per cent of the total strength.

After the proposed expansion, this figure will rise to 195 MPs, maintaining a similar share of close to 24 per cent.

The Minister reiterated that the delimitation exercise will not reduce the influence of southern states but will instead ensure a balanced increase in representation.

Addressing concerns over caste enumeration, Shah clarified that the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken a decision to include caste-based data collection in the upcoming census. He emphasised that the next phase of the census will include caste enumeration, countering Opposition claims that the government is unwilling to undertake such an exercise.

Shah also addressed questions regarding the proposed increase in Lok Sabha strength to around 816 seats, with 850 being a rounded estimate. He explained that the expansion would help implement the 33 per cent reservation for women while keeping all existing seats open for contest.

The Minister further clarified that all elections up to 2029 will continue under the current system and ensure continuity before the new framework comes into effect.

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