The Centre's proposed delimitation exercise will not reduce representation of the southern states in Lok Sabha, the home ministry has clarified. Instead, it says all states will gain seats proportionately under an expansion model linked to a 50% increase in parliamentary strength.
The government plans to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats by about 50%. This means the House will grow from 543 seats to 816 seats. The lower House of the Parliament has a total of 545 seats, with two reserved for the Anglo-Indian community.
According to him, the exercise will ensure that no state suffers a decline in its share of seats, even as total seats increase.
While the total number of MPs will increase, each state’s percentage share of seats remains nearly unchanged, as per a press release by the ministry of home affairs.
Southern states currently hold 129 of 543 seats (23.76%). After the proposed expansion it will go up to 195 of 816 seats (23.87%).
The remaining 621 seats (about 76% of the House) would go to other states, mainly in the North.
South Indian seat share in Lok Sabha
Karnataka
Current: 28 seats (5.15%)
Proposed: 42 seats (5.14%)
Andhra Pradesh
Current: 25 seats (4.60%)
Proposed: 38 seats (4.65%)
Telangana
Current: 17 seats (3.13%)
Proposed: 26 seats (3.18%)
Tamil Nadu
Current: 39 seats (7.18%)
Proposed: 59 seats (7.23%)
Kerala (Keralam)
Current: 20 seats (3.68%)
Proposed: 30 seats (3.67%)
Across all five states, the combined total increases from 129 to 195 seats, while the proportional share remains almost unchanged.
Southern states worry that even if their percentage share of seats stays the same, their real political influence could reduce over time. Opposition parties also argue that this could slowly shift more national power towards northern states.
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