The Indian government is introducing legislation to expand the Lok Sabha’s strength to 850 seats, a move that would significantly increase representation for Hindi-Heartland States while reducing the share of Southern States and the North-East.
- Lok Sabha ceiling to increase from 543 to 850 seats (815 from States, 35 from Union Territories).
- Seat allocation to shift from the 1971 Census to the 2011 Census.
- The primary objective is to operationalize women’s reservation under the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
Legislative Framework for Proposed Delimitation
The shift is outlined in the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and a companion Delimitation Bill. These measures seek to replace the existing constitutional freeze that pegged seat allocation to the 1971 Census.
The new framework introduces an open-ended formula that allows Parliament to determine the census basis through ordinary law. Under this plan, a Delimitation Commission will be constituted to redraw boundaries and reallocate seats using the latest published data, currently the 2011 Census.
Regional Impact on Representation
Analysis of the proposed delimitation indicates a sharp erosion of parliamentary representation for the North-East and Southern States. Conversely, the Hindi-Heartland States of northern India are expected to be the overwhelming beneficiaries of the population-based reallocation.
The legislation is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament during the session beginning April 16.
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