Parliamentary Delimitation: A Study on India’s Demographic Struggle for Political Representation

Abstract

Delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies in India has been delayed for more than 50 years since 1971, leading to significant disparities in political representation across the states. Our analysis reveals that states experiencing rapid fertility decline over the last half century have become politically overrepresented, while the states with slower fertility decline remain under-represented. This distortion has harmed the principle of equality of votes and disproportionately benefits more affluent states. This study has used the Webster Method to propose the expansion of Lok Sabha to 793 seats by 2026 to correct these imbalances and reflect Indian’s shifting demographic landscape.

Keywords

Parliament political representation delimitation demographic transition federalism malapportionment

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