Let’s first establish what we can all agree upon, irrespective of our political inclinations. First, due to the vastly differing pace of economic development, population growth in the south has been slower than in the north. Second, any delimitation exercise undertaken to readjust seats in Parliament based on the latest population data will lead to an increase in the north’s share of seats. Third, any prospective delimitation exercise must not punish the south for doing a good job of managing its population.
The Narendra Modi-led NDA is aware of the sensitivities of southern states that fear that delimitation based on the latest population data (2026 Census) will reduce their representation in Parliament. Union home minister Amit Shah has assured southern states that they need not fear the consequences that “delimitation will not reduce seats pro-rata and thus not a single south state will get affected”.
Despite the assurance, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has rallied the leaders of five southern states to come together on March 5 to blunt the NDA’s delimitation “sword” that he claims is “hanging over southern states”.
But a close examination of the arguments being made by the DMK reveals inconsistencies that expose its latent hypocrisy on seat delimitation.
First, the DMK is a big votary of the “Jitni abaadi utna haq” Rahul Gandhi line that has led it to support a caste census. But if DMK believes in proportional representation for caste-based reservations, why does it oppose fair seat allocation based on population growth?
To say that the south should be compensated for doing a better job at population management is to punish northern states for the historical disadvantages and (ongoing) demographic disruptions that have prevented them from successfully implementing population control measures. Since 1971, northern states have been underrepresented in the Lok Sabha. Tamil Nadu’s population growth rate (2011 Census) is 15.6%, much lower than Bihar’s 25.4% and Uttar Pradesh’s 20.2%. Despite this, Tamil Nadu still holds 39 Lok Sabha seats, while Bihar (with almost twice the population) has only 40 seats and UP 80 seats. Continuing to deny the people of the north an equal say in Parliament only ends up undermining their aspirations. In fact, research has shown that giving voters greater power to hold representatives to account boosts economic prospects and improves social outcomes. So, it is in the long-term interest of southern states to be a little generous to their northern compatriots.
Especially when it could be compellingly argued that freezing delimitation since the 1970s has benefited Tamil Nadu at the cost of UP and Bihar. That’s a lot of benefit over lots of time.
Second, if DMK is truly against unfair seat allocation, why hasn’t it made a case for internal seat redistribution within Tamil Nadu itself? Chennai has 3.5% of Tamil Nadu’s population but gets 5 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats (~13%). While rural areas like Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar with a greater population are underrepresented.
Last, DMK will be aware that TN’s economic prospects have also benefited from the cheap labour of economic migrants from the north. To now suddenly dismiss the people who bent their backs to bring prosperity to the south as antagonists reeks of selective parochialism.
