Delimitation Row: Shah Tells Lok Sabha How Many Seats Each Southern State Will Get

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday addressed concerns in the Lok Sabha over the impact of proposed delimitation and constitutional amendment measures on southern states, asserting that their representation would not diminish. Speaking during the debate, Shah said claims that the South would lose political weight were “misleading”, adding that seat redistribution would, in fact, increase the number of MPs from the region and marginally improve their share in the House.

#WATCH | Speaking in Lok Sabha on women’s reservation and delimitation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “The biggest narrative being created is that these three bills, the Constitution Amendment Bill, two laws on delimitation, and changes to the constituency election law,… pic.twitter.com/kv9bcJEL5E

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Seats To Rise

HM Shah outlined projected seat increases across key southern states. Karnataka’s representation is expected to rise from 28 to around 42-43 seats, while Andhra Pradesh could see its tally increase to 38. Telangana’s seats may go up from 17 to 26, and Tamil Nadu’s from 39 to 59.

He emphasised that these changes reflect population adjustments and do not reduce the relative strength of southern states. “There is no loss whatsoever,” Shah said, countering opposition claims of imbalance.

Share Remains Stable

The Home Minister also pointed to percentage shares to reinforce his argument. Karnataka currently accounts for about 5.15% of Lok Sabha seats, which would remain broadly stable after the increase. Andhra Pradesh’s share, currently around 4.60%, would also be maintained.

Similarly, Telangana’s share would rise slightly from 3.13% to about 3.18%, while Tamil Nadu’s would move from 7.18% to roughly 7.23%. Shah stressed that these marginal increases demonstrate that southern states will retain -and in some cases slightly enhance-their parliamentary influence.

South’s Overall Strength

Overall, representation from southern states is projected to increase significantly. At present, around 129 MPs from the region sit in the Lok Sabha. This number could rise to approximately 195 after delimitation, taking their combined share to nearly 24%.

Shah argued that this expansion undercuts the narrative that the proposed changes would disadvantage the South, instead positioning them as beneficiaries of a broader restructuring aimed at aligning representation with demographic realities.

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