Freeze number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to States based on 1971 census indefinitely: TVK chief Vijay

Amid a contentious debate surrounding delimitation, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) said the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the representation of each State must be frozen, as it is now, for an indefinite period of time based on the 1971 population census.

Amid a contentious debate surrounding delimitation, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) said the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the representation of each State must be frozen, as it is now, for an indefinite period of time based on the 1971 population census.

In a statement, Mr. Vijay said the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act had frozen the number of seats in the Lok Sabha till 2026 as per the 1971 census. The Union government is likely to take steps to commence delimitation by next year. However, the States have been given no clarity and assurance about the means and methods by which delimitation would be carried out, he said.

According to Mr. Vijay, if the delimitation exercise was carried out solely or partly based on the new population census, it would adversely affect the southern States. “It will be a punishment for the southern States that invested in improving health, education, and population control measures over the past 50 years. It is unacceptable if the number of seats in the southern States are relatively reduced or the number of seats in States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are disproportionately increased.”

Mr. Vijay also disapproved of a suggested method to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats and allocate each State the same percentage of seats as it is now. According to him, increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats would further deprive the Members of Parliament of the chance to raise questions. “With 543 MPs in Lok Sabha at present, many members are not getting the chance to raise issues during the Question Hour. A further increase in the number of MPs would make them sit just like an ornamental figure,” he felt.

The TVK chief advocated for bringing reforms in parliamentary procedures. The British Parliament has a ‘Prime Minister’s Question’ time, but the Indian Parliament has no such system in place, he said, pointing out past instances where bills were passed without proper discussions. He said increasing the number of MPs and providing them salaries, accommodation, and other facilities would be an additional burden on the exchequer.

Mr. Vijay also called for transparency in the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts. He alleged the Centre was ignoring the recommendations of the Collegium and pointed out only a retired Supreme Court judge could be appointed as chairperson of the Delimitation Commission. He also questioned the fairness in appointing Chief Election Commissioner, who would also be a part of the Delimitation Commission. He said election commissioners should be appointed based on consensus and “not in an arbitrary manner.”

According to him, the Centre should keep aside political calculations while allocating funds to States. It was a conscious decision to adopt the Constitution as a federal system with unitary bias. That was the need of the hour, considering internal security threats that prevailed soon after Independence. However, over the years, India has evolved into a matured and stable democracy. Considering this, the States should be given more administrative and financial autonomy, Mr. Vijay said.