The Central Government has started reaching out to political parties to build support for a fresh delimitation exercise, which it hopes to complete before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. According to government sources, discussions are being held with regional parties and other stakeholders before any formal legislative move is made.
Talks underway with regional parties
Sources said the government has already held consultations with several regional parties, including the DMK and the Trinamool Congress. Discussions are also continuing with other regional leaders as the Centre looks to gather views from across the political spectrum.
The government believes that taking everyone on board will be important before introducing any new legislation related to delimitation. Sources indicated that the response from regional parties has been encouraging so far.
Why the exercise matters
Delimitation refers to the process of redrawing parliamentary constituencies and deciding the distribution of Lok Sabha seats among states. At present, the allocation of seats is based on population figures that were frozen after the 1971 Census.
The Lok Sabha currently has 543 elected members. Any fresh delimitation exercise after the constitutional freeze is lifted could lead to changes in the number of seats allotted to different states, potentially reshaping political representation across the country.
Centre looking for wider consensus
Government sources said the Centre is aware of the concerns raised by states that have successfully controlled population growth over the years. These states fear they could lose relative representation if seat allocation is based mainly on population changes.
To address such concerns, the government is exploring a formula that balances fair representation while also ensuring broader political acceptance. Officials believe that a consensus-based approach will help prevent the issue from becoming politically divisive.
Framework likely before the new bill
Sources said the government is aiming to finalise a broad framework through consultations before moving ahead with a new bill. Once wider agreement is achieved among political stakeholders, the next legislative steps are expected to follow.
The proposed exercise is being viewed as one of the most important political and constitutional developments ahead of the next general election. Any changes arising from delimitation could have a major impact on parliamentary representation, the federal balance between states, and the country’s electoral map in the years ahead.
