Latest news with #DelimitationCommission
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Final notification on delimitation subject to results of petitions, says HC
The Kerala High Court on Monday (May 26) ordered that the final notifications on delimitation of wards in Naduvil panchayat and Uduma panchayat in Kannur and Kasaragod districts, respectively, would be subject to the result of the writ petitions filed in this regard. The order was passed on two writ petitions filed by the UDF leaders in these panchayats challenging the final notification issued by the Delimitation Commission. The petitioners contended that the final notification was violative of the constitutional provisions and the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act. The Delimitation Commission had published the final notification in the Naduvil panchayat without conducting an inquiry into the objections raised by some of the people to the draft notification. They contended that the final notifications were flawed and illegal.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
117 new divisions added to panchayats in Kozhikode
With the delimitation of local bodies completed, panchayats in Kozhikode district are to have 117 new divisions. With this, the total number of wards in the 70 grama panchayats in the district has increased to 1,343 from 1,226. Meanwhile, the District Congress Committee (DCC) has alleged that the delimitation was 'unscientific' and said it would take up the issue legally. Perumanna grama panchayat has the maximum number of new divisions added (four), while Puthuppady, Kakkodi, Chelannur, Thamarassery, Omassery, Kodiyathur, and Kuruvattur have had three new divisions added each. The names of some divisions have also been changed in certain cases. Thus, each of the 70 panchayats in the district has at least one new division added based on population. The boundaries of several divisions have been altered to accommodate the new ones. The Delimitation Commission claimed that all complaints registered based on the draft notification of the delimitation were resolved before finalising the changes. However, the DCC alleged that none of its complaints were taken into consideration. 'The officials who carried out the delimitation process behaved as if they were workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the divisions were made for the convenience of the party,' said DCC president K. Praveen Kumar. 'He added that the party had filed several complaints with justifiable reasons for not changing the boundaries of certain divisions, but these were not acknowledged by the commission. He said there were seven complaints against the finalised list of divisions pending in the Kerala High Court and that the Congress would intensify its protest against the 'unscientific delimitation'. The geography of the divisions has a big role in determining the results of elections in panchayats. With the local body polls expected in less than six months, there is limited time available to reconsider the divisions.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Draft notification on ward delimitation in Kerala block panchayats on May 27
The draft notification on ward delimitation in block panchayats will be issued on May 27, the State Delimitation Commission said. The number of wards in the 152 block panchayats in Kerala will go up from 2,080 to 2,267, the Commission headed by A. Shajahan said on Tuesday. The exercise is carried out in block panchayat wards on the basis of the number of grama panchayat wards and the population under the 2011 Census. Under a notification issued by the Director Local Self Government (Rural), block panchayats will have a minimum of 14 wards and a maximum of 24. Complaints and grievances regarding the draft notification will be accepted up to June 5. They can be lodged with the District Election Officer or with the Secretary, Delimitation Commission.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Decadal Growth Average: a balanced formula for delimitation
The Joint Action Committee, formed by the southern States, has demanded that delimitation be deferred by another 25 years or delinked from population. Though the Centre remains tight-lipped about the delimitation formula and timeline, the southern States are anticipating the worst-case scenario. If the Centre opts for State-wise population growth as the sole or major criterion, it will compromise the interests of these States, which have implemented the family planning programme in all sincerity. Deferring is also not ideal, as there is no guarantee that we will not face the same issue after 25 years. This analysis tries to understand the apprehensions of the southern States vis-à-vis the formula of the Delimitation Commission. Southern States fear that their role in lawmaking will decrease if population growth is used for delimitation. The argument that delimitation would be on a pro-rata basis and that these States would not lose a single seat is not convincing. Merely retaining the existing number of seats or seeing a small increase will not assuage their fears. They are concerned that their populous counterparts would bag a disproportionate number of seats. On the other hand, the Centre cannot ignore the need to enhance the number of MPs, which has been frozen since 1973. It is important to respect the constitutional spirit of one person, one vote. Even if the Centre freezes delimitation for another 25 years, there is no guarantee of achieving a uniform population growth rate across States, as it depends on several factors such as economy, religious beliefs and geography. Delinking delimitation from population growth, as requested by some States, is also not a tenable proposition, since population is the foundational criterion for delimitation under Article 81(2)(a). As per reports, the Centre is looking to increase the 543 seats to 753, based on a State-wise population growth formula. The MP seats for populous States such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan would rise from 174 to 249. The seats of the five southern States — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — would only slightly increase from 129 to 144. With this estimation, the Centre has reasons to consider the interests of the southern States. First, the Centre is duty-bound to ensure fair representation and cannot afford to hurt the sentiments of an entire region. Second, in today's charged political climate, every decision is met with suspicion and dispute. If the Centre goes ahead with the State-wise population formula, it risks creating sharp disparities within the country's polity. The south Indian States would feel that their progress has worked against their prospects and rendered them less significant. There are three approaches for delimitation using population growth, as mandated in Article 81(2)(a). India's population grew by 153% between 1971 and 2021. If this number is taken as the basis, the Lok Sabha seats will go up to 1,374, and the House becomes unwieldy. The average annual growth rate over the five decades is 1.94%, and increasing the number of seats by this number does not make sense. The third option is the Decadal Growth Average (DGA) formula. If we average the growth rates of five decades between 1971 and 2021, we get 20.91%. If this number is used, the seats will go up to 656, which is a reasonable number. I propose that the Centre should use the DGA. Unlike the State-wise population growth model, it does not penalise States that have effectively controlled their population. Since the DGA transfers the impact of population growth equally across all States, it eliminates the need for applying other weightage factors such as population control, literacy rate, economic growth rate, etc. If the Centre has to assign weightages, that process could lead to disputes. The table shows the State-wise share of growth in Lok Sabha seats using the Decadal Growth Average formula Using the DGA formula would allow the Centre to safeguard the interests of all States while recognising both population growth and development. The only requirement would be to amend Article 81(2)(a), which currently mandates that Lok Sabha seat allocation be proportional to each State's population, ensuring equal representation per member. This requirement of proportionality to the population is not paramount in the current context for three reasons. First, for decades, increasing the number of MP seats in line with population growth was considered impractical due to vast disparities in State-wise population growth rates, ranging from minimal to explosive. That is why there has been a more than five-decade embargo. Second, the Centre could amend Article 81 to protect the interests of all the States. Third, different States having different population ratios per MP seat is not a problem. It is often the geography that poses challenges to the MPs rather than the population. For instance, the Lakshadweep parliamentary constituency has only about 80,000 people, but to meet them, their MP needs to travel to several islands, whereas the MP of Malkajgiri constituency, the most populous Lok Sabha constituency in the country, can reach out to more than 45 lakh people very easily. By adopting the DGA formula for enhancing Lok Sabha constituencies, the Centre can address regional concerns and uphold the principles of federalism. This formula would also pave the way for future delimitations without any disputes or protests. The author was a former Officer on Special Duty to ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy Also read: Delimitation debate: A conflict between the principle of democracy and one of federalism
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Why Modi's plan to redraw India's political map has sparked a backlash
India is set for a major political upheaval in 2026, redrawing parliamentary constituencies to reflect changes in population. While proponents claim this will ensure fair representation based on demographic realities, critics argue it will punish southern states that have followed national guidelines to control their populations and reward provinces – mostly in the north – that haven't. They also point out the move will be electorally advantageous to Narendra Modi's ruling BJP party, which draws its core support from the Hindi-speaking heartland in the north. By increasing the number of seats in this region, the critics say, the prime minister is looking to strengthen the ruling party's grip on power for the foreseeable future. What is Delimitation? Delimitation is the exercise of redrawing parliamentary and state assembly constituencies to reflect changes in population. It is conducted periodically by the Delimitation Commission, an independent body established by an act of Parliament. The goal is to ensure more populous states get more seats in the legislature. The exercise was previously undertaken in 1951, 1961 and 1971. In 1976, when the population was at around 550 million, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament, was capped at 543 so as not to penalise states that had reduced their population growth rates, The Hindu reported. The freeze was meant to encourage all states to adopt population control measures without fearing a loss of parliamentary representation. In 2002, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, led by the BJP, extended the freeze until at least 2026. Mr Modi is in no mood to keep the status quo. There is now concern that his government will revert to using the most recent census figures for the exercise, giving more seats to northern states with higher population growth like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and few, if any, to southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Tamil Nadu is at the forefront of the political opposition to delimitation, fearing an unfair reduction in its political influence. State chief minister MK Stalin convened an all-party meeting last week to discuss strategies to counter the potential impact of the exercise. The consensus among the parties attending the meeting, which the state chapter of the BJP notably skipped, was clear: states that have successfully controlled their populations should not be penalised with reduced political representation. 'I thank all the parties that attended the meeting and unanimously supported the proposal brought by the chief minister regarding the delimitation process,' state finance minister Thangam Thennarasu said afterwards. 'Except for a few, most political parties have aligned with the state government to protect their rights.' How Modi and BJP stand to gain A key reason why delimitation is controversial is its potential political impact. The BJP has struggled to gain traction in southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana, where regional parties and the Congress hold sway. In contrast, the party enjoys wide support in the north, especially in Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. If parliamentary seats are allocated based on the latest population figures, the BJP stands to gain significantly from the additional representation that the Hindi heartland is set to land. The main beneficiary states of delimitation — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan — are already BJP strongholds. Increasing their parliamentary representation will likely give the party an even bigger share of Lok Sabha seats, making it harder for opposition alliances to challenge Mr Modi's dominance in future elections. Uttar Pradesh, for example, could see its share of Lok Sabha constituencies jump from 80 to 128 and Bihar from 40 to 70. In contrast, Tamil Nadu with 39 seats, Karnataka with 28 and Andhra with 25 may not see significant changes, limiting the ability of opposition parties to balance out the BJP's widening numerical advantage in the north. Impact on South India Political analysts argue that delimitation could entrench the BJP's electoral supremacy for the next several decades. If the number of seats in northern states rises significantly, the party could win elections even with a lower overall vote share. This could make it virtually impossible for opposition parties to unseat Mr Modi's government, even if they perform well in southern India and other non-BJP strongholds. 'The states that scrupulously followed population control measures are now at a disadvantage versus states that did not,' A Saravanan, a spokesperson for Tamil Nadu's governing DMK party, said. 'The population control measures contributed to the economy of this country; we contributed to its growth; we listened to you. But now you want to penalise us.' Federal home minister Amit Shah, Mr Modi's chief lieutenant, has sought to reassure critics saying 'not a single seat' will be lost due to delimitation. But critics point out that while southern states may not lose seats, the significant increase for northern states will effectively dilute their political power. 'He has not mentioned how many seats he is going to increase in the northern states,' Anbumani Ramadoss, leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi, a regional party in Tamil Nadu, said. 'So, our question is: why are you penalising us when we have done well in the government of India's programmes of population stabilisation?'
