Delimitation is unviable, decentralisation best way forward: Leading data expert

The proposed delimitation plan is flawed and unviable and looked at any way, the angst of southern states and their politicians is understandable, says a leading Chennai-based data analyst. "Southern states face the threat of losing political power and relevance with the impending tussle on delimitation, which may drastically reduce their representation in Parliament,” says Nilakantan RS. Given the comparatively faster rate of population growth in north India, seat allocations based on current population levels would cause states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala to lose Lok Sabha seats, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh could gain seats. Why should the centre tinker with the language policy of states, when it is a state subject?” Any future delimitation, most likely post-2026, will have to contend with harmoniously balancing two key constitutional values – federalism on the one hand, and the ‘one person, one vote, one value’ principle on the other. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent assurance that southern states will not lose a single parliamentary seat due to delimitation has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana.