Opposing the delimitation bill, the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc hoisted black flags in Tamil Nadu today. Let’s explore what the bill is in this article.
Delimitation means redrawing the boundaries of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population.
Under the proposed bill, the current 543 Lok Sabha constituencies may be increased to 850 through a constitutional amendment (131st Amendment). Out of these, 273 seats (around 33%) are to be reserved for women.
The original plan, approved by Parliament in 2023, proposed implementing women’s reservation based on the 2027 Census, which would have led to its rollout in 2034. However, the new proposal aims to speed up the process by using the 2011 Census data.
The opposition has raised concerns over this decision and demands that the exercise be postponed until the 2021 Census data is made available.
The INDIA bloc has opposed the bill, stating that it may benefit some regions more than others. States with higher population growth, mostly in northern India, may gain more seats, while southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala fear reduced representation due to better population control.
While the INDIA bloc supports women’s reservation, it opposes linking it with delimitation, calling it politically motivated.
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged DMK party members and alliance parties to protest against the bill by hoisting black flags. He also opposed the proposal by burning copies of the delimitation document.
