Core Argument
- Electors, not population, should be the primary basis for delimiting parliamentary constituencies (PCs).
- This ensures true adherence to the principle of “One person, one vote, one value.”
Relevance : GS 2(Delimitation , Governance)
Why Electors, Not Population?
- Census counts all residents, including:
- Under-18s (non-voters)
- Migrants who may not be registered voters
- Elector rolls capture actual voters, not merely residents.
- Using elector data is timely, doesn’t depend on delayed Census.
- Better reflects real democratic participation.
Elector Disparity & Vote Value
- Vote value ∝ 1 / number of electors in a PC.
- Disparities observed:
- Idukki (Kerala) vote = 4.5× that of Malkajgiri (Telangana).
- Southern States dominate both the largest and smallest elector-PCs.
- Indicates the need for rationalisation within the South itself, not just North-South debate.
Historical Trends in Vote Value
- Southern States had higher vote value in:
- 1951, 2009, 2019, 2024
- Lower vote value in:
- 1961, 1971, 1980, 1991, 1999
- Suggests cyclical shifts, not a consistent bias against the South.
Parliamentary Representation Imbalance
- Southern States (22.45% of electors):
- Hold 23.8% of Lok Sabha seats
- 24.4% of Rajya Sabha seats
- Rest of India (71.2% electors):
- Hold only 67.4% Lok Sabha and 64.4% Rajya Sabha seats
- Tamil Nadu (TN) anomaly:
- 39 Lok Sabha seats (less than Bihar/West Bengal)
- 18 Rajya Sabha seats, higher than both.
Proposed Reform Model
- Raise Lok Sabha strength to 800 (with 810 total to accommodate smaller States/UTs).
- States that gain most:
- Rajasthan (+76%)
- Karnataka (+60.7%)
- Telangana (+58.8%)
- Ensures equity without penalising population control success.
Debunking Misconceptions
- Population-only basis – historically not true; geographical & minimum representation always mattered.
- Southern States penalised for family planning – oversimplified narrative; even within South disparities exist.
- Dangerous precedent – linking representation to fertility rates could lead to demands based on religion or caste.
- Migration & outdated methods – original population criteria didn’t account for current demographic fluidity.
Conclusion
- Elector-based delimitation is:
- More democratically valid
- More data-available and real-time
- Less prone to political manipulation via fertility narratives
- A necessary modern reform to ensure fair representation in line with India’s changing demographics.
