Centre to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies but may avoid allocation to allay fears

New Delhi: The 2011 Census is likely to be used to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies, but not to determine the allocation of seats among states, government sources said, in a bid to allay concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise.

Instead, Parliament is expected to determine the total number of seats, with a uniform and proportionate increase across states to maintain their existing share in the Lok Sabha - a safeguard aimed particularly at southern states.

This clarification comes amid opposition from Congress, INDIA bloc members and parties such as BRS, which have flagged concerns that population-based delimitation could tilt political weight towards northern states. A package of three bills - the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Delimitation Bill and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill - circulated among MPs proposes capping the Lok Sabha seats at 850.


Last month, the government conveyed to its allies that the seat expansion would be evenly distributed, effectively freezing the current inter-state balance despite population differences - a key political measure aimed at managing the north-south divide. Sources indicated this principle is likely to be made explicit on the floor of the House, giving it legislative clarity.

The expansion of Lok Sabha seats is closely linked to the implementation of women's reservation under the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, which mandates a 33% quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. With a larger House, this could translate into more than 270 women MPs, marking a significant shift in political representation and electoral strategy.

History of women's quota

The proposal for women's reservation was first introduced in 1996 as the 81st Constitutional Amendment bill. It was later passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010. In 2023, during the first sitting in the new Parliament building, the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act - popularly known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam - was enacted.

History of delimitation

Delimitation in India has been carried out four times - in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002 - in line with the census. The strength of Lok Sabha increased from 489 to 494 in 1952. Subsequently, a constitutional amendment froze the expansion of seats to encourage population control, a freeze that was later extended until 2026 by another amendment. The 2002 delimitation commission redrew boundaries without changing the total number of seats.