Congress Opposes Population-Based Delimitation, Calls It a ‘Penalty’ for Progressive States
Chennai, 12th March 2025: In its first statement on delimitation since the latest controversy erupted last month, Congress on Tuesday argued that states that implemented family planning measures early would lose parliamentary seats due to the redrawing of constituencies based on population data. The party asserted that this process would “penalize” states that aligned with national objectives, pointing out that northern states would benefit the most, while southern and eastern states would see reductions.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh explained, “Currently, the allocation of Lok Sabha seats across states is based on the 1971 Census. An amendment to Article 82, effective from February 2002, mandates a fresh allocation based on population figures from the first Census conducted after 2026.”
Referring to a 2019 study by Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hintson, Ramesh highlighted its projections on seat distribution based on estimated 2026 population data. According to these findings, the states likely to lose seats include Tamil Nadu (8), Kerala (8), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (8), Odisha (3), West Bengal (4), Karnataka (2), Himachal Pradesh (1), Punjab (1), and Uttarakhand (1). Meanwhile, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Maharashtra are expected to maintain their current numbers. States projected to gain seats include Uttar Pradesh (11), Bihar (10), Rajasthan (6), Madhya Pradesh (4), Jharkhand (1), Haryana (1), Gujarat (1), Delhi (1), and Chhattisgarh (1).
Ramesh criticized the process, stating that states that successfully controlled their population growth would end up being “penalized” for their efforts.
Congress has previously maintained that delimitation should not disadvantage states that excelled in population control. However, this marks its first statement on the issue since Tamil Nadu raised concerns last month. Given that opposing a population-based delimitation could alienate voters in northern states, some analysts believe Congress may adopt a cautious approach as a national party.
On Friday, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin called for a united front against what he described as an “unfair exercise.” He reached out to the chief ministers of southern states, along with leaders from Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab, urging them to join a Joint Action Committee. Stalin also extended invitations to parties including CPI(M), CPI, Congress, AIMIM, JD(S), Akali Dal, YSRCP, TDP, BRS, Jana Sena, TMC, AAP, and BJP units from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, and West Bengal for a meeting scheduled on March 22.
