The BJP, which came to power in 2014, brought the Bill to Parliament only in 2023 — and even then, attached conditions of census and delimitation
He said the Centre had moved ahead without adequate consultation or discussion with Opposition parties and attempted to bring in the legislation at the last minute through a sudden notification
Rajamahendravaram BJP MP seeks an apology from Opposition for defeating the Bill; she says the amendment’s delimitation formula, with a larger Lok Sabha, would have protected southern States
The NDA has shown no intent to implement the Bill passed in 2023 and linked it to delimitation knowing well that it delays implementation further, they allege
He asserts that women’s reservation and delimitation have no correlation whatsoever, and lauds Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for comprehending the designs of the Centre and projecting the pitfalls of the Bill in appropriate fora
The govt. wanted to divide the INDIA alliance and deploy their usual tactics to push through the Constitution Amendment Bill but they had not anticipated the unity in the alliance which is why they appear rattled, the Congress leader says; the next Kerala CM will be chosen in a democratic fashion, says Mr. Venugopal, who played the role of a troubleshooter during the Assembly election campaign
The party State secretary urges K. Ram Mohan Naidu to clarify Centre’s stand, calls for women’s reservation by 2029 and flags concerns over Andhra Pradesh representation
What is delimitation, and how does it work in India? What changes were proposed in the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill? Why was an increase in Lok Sabha seats proposed? What concerns did the Opposition raise against the Bills? What is the way forward?
Sharmila accused the Central Government of linking the issue with delimitation for political gain, and described the Prime Minister as an “opportunist”
The Constitution Amendment Bill had nothing to do with women’s reservation, for which a Bill had already been passed with the support of the Opposition in 2023
He says the ‘weaponisation of the Delimitation Bill under the guise of women’s reservation’ during elections has badly boomeranged and is coming back to bite the National Democratic Alliance
He says by doing this, the Centre knew full well that opposition parties will oppose the Bill, and once they did, it can campaign against the opposition in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu based on the issue
Ramakrishna accuses the Union government of undermining federal balance, calls for unconditional implementation of Women’s Reservation Act and urges NDA allies to take a stand
Mamata Banerjee alleged that the central government was plotting to push through the delimitation exercise by "using women as a shield"
He said that the delimitation exercise being introduced by the Centre, in its present form, would be extremely unfair to southern States
Mamata Banerjee alleged that the central government was plotting to push through the delimitation exercise by "using women as a shield"
With 131st Constitution Amendment Bill failing, implementation now remains contingent on Census and delimitation under 2023 Act
Say constitutional realignment can rectify historical imbalances and strengthen inclusion, and making population sole criterion for delimitation would be an injustice to northeast
Taking a swipe at the BJP over its push for delimitation, the Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that the saffron party wanted to "divide" the country
On delimitation, the Union Minister for Home Affairs has clarified that not only Tamil Nadu but other States also will not be affected. I have also reiterated it. Tamil Nadu’s share will go up from 7.18% to 7.23%. This has disproved what Mr. Stalin has been saying: Edapaddi K. Palaniswami
A ramrod approach to delimitation was bound to fail
On delimitation, the Union Minister for Home Affairs has clarified that not only Tamil Nadu but other States also will not be affected. I have also reiterated it. Tamil Nadu’s share will go up from 7.18% to 7.23%. This has disproved what Mr. Stalin has been saying: Edapaddi K. Palaniswami
M.K. Stalin says he ‘never opposed’ delimitation and always sought ‘fairness’ in a process that is ‘thought through’ and not pushed for ‘political gain’; he says women will ‘see through’ the BJP’s ‘optics’
He said the way delimitation was done in J&K has left people ‘even more worried’
Home Minister Amit Shah says “north-south divide” narrative is detrimental to the country and it will not diminish the government’s popularity; he says even if the Opposition “greyed their hair”, they will never come to power
After the delimitation exercise in 2008, the constituency became a Reserved segment and consistently returned candidates of the AIADMK in the 2011, 2016 and 2021 elections. The AIADMK is primarily highlighting achievements of the previous AIADMK government, along with promises for the largely agrarian constituency. Out of the four Assembly constituencies in Kallakurichi district, Kallakurichi (SC) was the lone Assembly segment that returned an AIADMK candidate in the 2021 elections while the rest went to the DMK
There were 298 ayes, 230 noes, zero abstentions with 528 present and voting
Linking the women’s reservation Bill with delimitation will adversely impact the SCs and STs, and the southern States that have effectively controlled population growth, asserts party leader Srinivasa Rao
Rahul Gandhi says Constitution Amendment Bill is “nothing short of an anti-national act” and said the Opposition is going to defeat the attempt to “attack the nation state”
Dr. Anbumani welcomed assurances given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha constituencies will not be reduced
Pointing out that the share of Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha would go up from 7.18% to 7.23%, Mr. Palaniswami, in an interview with The Hindu, said that “this disproves what he [Mr. Stalin] has been saying.”
Women's reservation, he said, is ready for harvest and can and should be implemented immediately based on existing parliamentary strength
“He [M.K. Stalin] opposes everything and has focused only on family interests,” Mr. Nagenthran said
Hyderabad and its surrounding districts will undergo the most significant changes
The Union government is committing an injustice towards States that have performed well in population control, Left parties say
Union Home Minister Amit Shah says “a major narrative is being built... a misconception is being spread” that the southern States will lose seats in the Lok Sabha due to delimitation
Amit Shah says those spreading ‘misconceptions... do not understand’; he tells Lok Sabha that seats of five southern States will increase from 129 to 195 and reassures people of Tamil Nadu that their ‘power is increasing’
The government’s intention was to push through delimitation in the garb of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Congress general secretary says in Lok Sabha; he adds that PM Narendra Modi did not mention the word “delimitation” even once in his speech during the debate on the Bill, when that was the main issue being raised by the Opposition
We were expecting the census to include Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribes; the government should have waited for it
Bills seek to start the reallocation of seats and delimitation immediately, without 2026 sunset proviso
The suggestion entered the national discourse, particularly amid concerns among southern States over potential loss of parliamentary representation
The women’s quota could be implemented now, the Congress leader says, accusing the Union government of using the Constitution amendment to reshape political representation
In our new and third episode of Above the Fold, we look at the stormy session in the Lok Sabha as the Centre and Opposition clash over delimitation. Joshua Landis weighs in on the escalating West Asia conflict, while Donald Trump sparks controversy with a viral post. Also, a key Supreme Court of India observation on voting rights and R Vaishali clinches a major chess title.
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi says the gerrymandering of seats done in Jammu and Kashmir through the delimitation exercise will be repeated across the country
TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar expresses apprehensions that the proposed delimitation commission will be “authoritarian just like the Election Commission”
He says that it will help reduce the distance between leaders and voters and improve governance
‘What they did through delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir and in Assam, they want to do in the whole country in the name of women’s reservation,’ Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi says in Parliament, adding that the government’s actions were ‘shameful’
A look into how 2011 Census-based delimitation could impact India’s political landscape, parliamentary representation and electoral dynamics
Opinion, editorials, interviews and insight from The Hindu on the delimitation debate
The Prime Minister said no one should remain under the illusion that they are giving something to the women of this country as reservation in legislatures is their right
BJP links implementation of law reserving 33 percent of seats for women to redrawing of parliamentary constituencies.
What is the Election Commission’s draft proposal on delimitation? Why are people opposing it? Who is going to get affected by the exercise? Why do some parties want the delimitation done after the National Register of Citizens is updated? Is there a possibility of the proposal being redrafted?
The proposed exercise is allegedly based on communal lines of segregation, rather than on logical geographic boundaries of the State. The plan, which also involves reservations, may reduce the possibility of Muslims being elected, diminishing the existing political power of the minority community
Repeated demands to publish digital interactive maps of the proposed wards and to allow objections to be filed online have fallen on deaf ears
The delimitation exercise, constitutionally mandated for 2026, looms large over the debate, and the government and the BJP may have to evolve a response sooner rather than later
Under Article 170 of the Constitution and Section 8(b) of the Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, the number of seats in a State Assembly must be an integral multiple of the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to that State
We take a look at delimitation and why southern States are opposing this process
Chief Minister M.K Stalin has convened an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the impact of the proposed delimitation exercise.
CM Stalin says, “It is unjustifiable to reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats of southern States because they have effectively implemented population control measures”
Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and P. Rajeeve in conversation with Narayan Lakshman
Southern Indian leaders urge mass mobilisation over concerns about redrawing electoral boundaries.
The government is looking into bringing an amendment to the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act to remove the requirement of delimitation for reserving seats for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies
The current proportional representation of States should not be disturbed under any circumstances, says Chief Minister; Statement comes in the wake of reports that 2011 Census may be used for women’s reservation in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies
“Is the supply of gas cylinders and foreign policy under the control of the State government?” he questioned
Revanth Reddy says issues related to the Southern states too will become irrelevant
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has already raised an alarm over the issue and others may very well follow as this proposal becomes officially public
Guntur, Nellore, Kurnool, Anantapur and other Urban Local Bodies in Andhra Pradesh also see significant rise in the number of wards based on population, as per MAUD Department’s circular for delimitation
What does delimitation mean and what are the constitutional provisions which deal with it? Why were the seats frozen as per the 1971 Census? Will the fresh exercise go against the federal principle, giving an advantage to certain States over others?
Opposition leaders in Kerala, including Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, UDF MP N.K. Premachandran and CPI leader Annie Raja, say they are in favour of reservation for women in the current strength of Parliament, but will not accept delimitation provisions being ‘brought under its garb’
The Supreme Court has consistently held that though judicial review of delimitation was limited, the court could intervene if the exercise was capricious and unreasonable
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said both the proposed increase in the Lok Sabha seats and women’s representation need “to be examined collectively by the Opposition”
Centre should consider a matrix that distributes weightage between the current population, population growth indicators such as the Total Fertility Rate, and the existing share of Parliamentary seats to arrive at a delimitation formula, he says.
Hyderabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri and Ranga Reddy districts will see their combined Assembly strength rise from 29 to 45
“Under the amendments that the government wants to bring in, the basis for the selection of seats will be the Census data of 2011. The number of seats in Parliament will increase to 816, out of which 273 will be reserved for women,” a source said
Why will the implementation be delayed by several years? When will the Census and delimitation exercise take place? Is there a timeline? Why are some parties demanding a sub-quota for women from Other Backward Classes?
Southern and North-Eastern States stand to lose the most in seat share; Hindi heartland States gain disproportionately
The Congress has alleged that when the intent behind the Bill is "mischievous" and its content "devious", the extent of damage to parliamentary democracy is enormous
Amit Shah had assured party representatives, who met him in recent weeks, that the strength of the Lok Sabha would increase by 50%, to be distributed across States in their existing proportions — that is, a 50% increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats from each individual State
Alleging a planned move, he said the timing coincided with peak election campaigning, making it difficult for Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to attend. He claimed this was intended to limit opposition to certain amendments.
M.K. Stalin was campaigning for the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance candidates in Vellore and Tirupattur districts for the Assembly elections
Govt circulates drafts of Constitution Amendment Bill and Delimitation Bill; If proposals are accepted, share of Lok Sabha seats of southern States will shrink; Bills propose increase in size of Lok Sabha to a maximum of 850 seats
The proposed amendments, in effect, mean that State Assemblies will see a change in their total number of seats, depending on population changes and constituency boundaries within States will also be redrawn as part of the delimitation exercise
Parties across the Opposition, and even some allies, flag concerns over ambiguity on delimitation and federal balance
Civil society members and transparency activists expressed concern over the “opaque and non-consultative” manner in which the government was bringing Bills on women’s reservation and delimitation
There will be proportional increase of seats across the country due to delimitation and ‘everybody is back to where they were’, says the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry; he also defends the National Education Policy, says T.N. has failed to reach its ‘true potential’ under DMK govt.
The BJP’s proposal is to have 50% additional seats in the Lok Sabha, one-third of the new total being reserved for women, nationally and in each State; for instance, Kerala, which at present has 20 seats, will have 30 seats, of which ten will be reserved for women.