As discussions on legislative constituency delimitation gain momentum, concerns arise. A key proposal suggests freezing parliamentary seats while increasing Assembly seats in States with population growth. This ensures better representation, as MLAs serve as the first point of contact for constituents, whereas MPs focus on national policy.
Addressing Regional Imbalance
To balance power distribution, Rajya Sabha seats could be redistributed equally among the five geographic zones. However, zonal councils have been largely inactive, with the exception of the Western Zonal Council, which met in February 2025. The Inter-State Council, dormant since 2016, needs revival for better coordination.
The Case of Jammu and Kashmir
The 2022 Jammu and Kashmir delimitation raised concerns of communal bias. It disproportionately favored Jammu over the Valley and created constituencies that lacked administrative or geographic logic. The redistricting appeared to follow religious lines, with new Hindu-majority seats and altered demographics in existing constituencies.
In Assam
The 2023 Assam delimitation followed a different method but had similar results. The state froze Assembly seats, yet the government merged four districts, leading to the loss of 10 Muslim-majority constituencies while increasing Hindu and tribal representation. Additionally, constituency sizes varied significantly.
Danger of Polarisation
The Opposition has largely overlooked the risks of communal delimitation. While regional identity has traditionally outweighed religious identity in voting patterns, recent trends in Jammu and Assam suggest that communal redistricting can deepen voter polarisation, even in southern States.
Threat to Pluralism
A population-based delimitation would increase the power imbalance between northern and other States, reducing the influence of more developed regions. However, the greater threat is the communal division of constituencies, which could fracture national unity. Together, these changes pose a serious challenge to India’s pluralist democracy and must be resisted.
