OPINION: IS THE DELIMITATION QUESTION SETTLED?
Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies based on a recent Census to ensure that each seat has an almost equal number of voters.
OPINION: IS THE DELIMITATION QUESTION SETTLED?
Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies based on a recent Census to ensure that each seat has an almost equal number of voters.
The last delimitation exercise took place in 1976. While the current boundaries were drawn on the basis of the 2001 Census, the number of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats remained frozen on the basis of the 1971 Census.
In 2002, the Constitution was amended to place a freeze on the exercise until the first Census conducted after the year 2026.
This was done due to imbalances in population growth between the northern and southern states.
In 2002, the boundaries of Lok Sabha constituencies were redrawn but the total number of seats were left unchanged. So, the current distribution of seats is as per the 1976 delimitation.
In this time, whenever there was a State reorganization, it was specified in the States Reorganisation Act. For instance, when Uttarakhand was formed, it was specified that it would have a 70-seat Assembly.
Distribution among the states will be decided by the Delimitation Commission, which will be appointed under a Delimitation Commission Act. Parliament gives them directions for devising a formula for reallocation of seats.
•After every census, the Parliament will enact a Delimitation Act, as per Article 82.
•As per Article 170, the states also get classified into territorial constituencies after every census.
There are rising concerns over the redistribution of seats in the Lok Sabha according to the current population count. This is due to the regional variations in figures that show a demographic divergence. Issues such as proportionality based on population, inter-state migration trends and representation of marginalised groups pose a challenge to devising an appropriate formula.