Delimitation rewards states that did not manage their population: DMK MP P. Wilson 

Equating delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies expected in 2026, as a “political coup” Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP P. Wilson speaking during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Equating delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies expected in 2026, as a “political coup” Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP P. Wilson speaking during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) said that it “unfairly penalises” the states which have successfully managed populations while rewarding those that have not.

The DMK has been demanding an in depth discussion on the issue in both houses of Parliament. But so far, no assurance has been forthcoming from the government on holding such a debate. 

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Reminding the government that the freeze on delimitation was introduced because of the uneven population growth across the country which was expected to be stablised by the 2026 deadline. If the Constitution is not amended before 2026 to extend the freezing, the delimitation will kick in and automatically be done from 2026 onwards. But the population growth continues to be uneven. 

“Data shows that the states like Tamil Nadu have a total fertility rate of 1.7 and Kerala TFR of 1.8 indicating that these states have successfully stabilize their population. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh has a TFR of 2.4, Bihar has a TFR 3.0 which means that these states continue to experience exponential population growth,” Mr. Wilson pointed out. 

This suggests that the original reasoning for lifting the freeze in 2026 is no longer valid, he said, arguing further that implementing delimitation at this point would unfairly penalize states that have successfully managed the populations while rewarding those that have not. 

States like Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh are projected to gain more than 150 additional seats collectively while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana — will gain only 35 seats collectively, Mr. Wilson said.

Further, if the current 543 seats in Lok Sabha are retained and redistributed based on 2026 census, Tamil Nadu will lose eight seats, while Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will gain 21 seats, he added.

“This shift will favour states that have not adhered to the National Family Policy Planning. Why? Why should we forfeit our rightful representation and political leverage? Why are the states that neglected family planning being rewarded with increased representation? “This is nothing short of a political coup against those states that have remained committed to our national vision,” Mr. Wilson said.