Congress MP warns delimitation could harm border states, urges review

Congress MP Manish Tewari has raised a strong note of caution over the proposed delimitation exercise, warning that it could reshape India’s political map to the detriment of states in the North, South and Northeast while disproportionately benefiting the country’s central regions.

Tewari said the concerns of states sharing India’s international borders, particularly in the northern and northeastern regions, must be given serious consideration before any decision is taken. He argued that the exercise could have far-reaching consequences for regional representation and the delicate balance of India’s federal structure.

His remarks come amid renewed political debate over the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation seeks to amend provisions linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, and follows an earlier setback in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session in April.

Recalling his intervention in the House, Tewari said the proposed delimitation could harm states across North India, South India and the Northeast, while placing Central India in a comparatively advantageous position.

“For the states that are on the border, in North India or Northeast India, this (delimitation) is not in their interest, and that is why this point needs to be considered very seriously,” he said.

Tewari also questioned why the implementation of women’s reservation should be tied to a fresh delimitation exercise. He argued that the reservation promised under the legislation could instead be introduced within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats.

“The government is talking about the women’s reservation, then why not implement it in the current number of seats?” he asked, arguing that one-third reservation for women could be provided within the present strength of the House.

The wider delimitation debate has gathered fresh momentum as the Centre seeks political consensus over changes to parliamentary representation ahead of the 2029 general elections. The proposed exercise has, however, stirred apprehension in several states over its potential impact on federal equity and the distribution of political influence.

Southern states and other regions that have successfully pursued population stabilisation measures fear that a population-based delimitation could reward states with faster population growth with a larger share of parliamentary seats, while reducing the relative influence of states that invested in controlling population growth.

At the heart of the disagreement is a larger question of representation: whether parliamentary strength should primarily mirror present population figures or also take into account the federal compact, population-control efforts and the strategic importance of border states.

The Centre, meanwhile, maintains that delimitation is intended to modernise democratic representation and ensure that parliamentary constituencies keep pace with the country’s changing population.

With IANS inputs