Now Reading: Delimitation after 2026 is constitutional mandate, says law minister
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Delimitation after 2026 is constitutional mandate, says law minister
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Thursday that delimitation of Lok Sabha seats is a constitutional mandate and must be carried out after 2026. Speaking to ANI, Meghwal criticised opposition…
The Story in Brief
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Thursday that delimitation of Lok Sabha seats is a constitutional mandate and must be carried out after 2026. Speaking to ANI, Meghwal criticised opposition leaders who, he said, carry the Constitution but do not read its provisions. The Constitution froze seat allocation based on the 1971 Census to protect states that implemented population control. The current freeze expires after 2026.
Southern states have expressed concern that a population-based redistribution could reduce their relative parliamentary representation. Delimitation redraws constituency boundaries after each census to ensure roughly equal population sizes per seat. The last delimitation in 2008 used 1971 Census figures, retaining the existing seat distribution among states.
The Indian Opinion
The law minister's swipe, that opposition leaders carry the Constitution but do not read it, may score a rhetorical point but avoids the real worry. Southern states fear losing Lok Sabha seats to faster-growing northern states, a legitimate grievance under the current freeze logic. The Constitution mandates delimitation, but it also let Parliament freeze seats for decades to reward family planning. If the government wants a smooth exercise, it must first explain the formula. Will the 2026 delimitation use the same 1971 Census basis, or will population figures from 2031 shift power decisively northward? That number will settle the fairness question.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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