Southern States Oppose Modi Government’s Plans To Redraw Constituencies

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI– Leaders from India’s southern states are opposing the Modi government’s plan to redraw parliamentary constituencies in 2026, arguing it could reduce their representation in favor of northern states with larger populations, Reuters reports.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin convened a meeting on March 5 with representatives from over 40 parties to discuss concerns over the proposed delimitation, which would allocate seats based on population. Southern leaders argue that states that have controlled population growth should not be disadvantaged in parliamentary representation.

The five southern states—Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala—contribute about 30% of India’s GDP. Meanwhile, northern states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which account for about 26% of the country’s estimated 1.4 billion people, have experienced higher population growth.

India’s constitution mandates a delimitation process after every national census. However, the 2021 census was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Modi government has yet to initiate the population count, Reuters said. The last census in 2011 recorded a population of 1.21 billion, but the number of parliamentary seats remains at 543. The newly inaugurated parliament building has the capacity for 888 seats, signaling possible changes in representation.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has called for a fresh census before any boundary changes, arguing that population size alone should not determine seat allocation. “We should not be punished for controlling population and implementing reforms,” he said.