The strong pushback from southern States comes amid concerns triggered by the draft Delimitation Bill that States which managed to stabilise their population between the 1970s to 2026 could lose their strength if Lok Sabha seats are reapportioned based on the 2011 Census | Photo Credit: -

The proposed delimitation exercise has triggered a strong pushback from Southern States, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with the protests unfolding bang in the middle of the ongoing Assembly election campaign in the State.

Basing seat redistribution on population could reduce the parliamentary representation of the southern States that adhered to the nation’s call for population control in the 1970s, argue TN, Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala, calling for a different, consensual way. TN has announced black-flag protests and is also working to mobilise MPs nationwide.

black-flag protest

TN CM Stalin on Wednesday escalated the issue with a call for a black-flag protest across the State on Thursday. He also held a virtual meeting with the DMK MPs and united them on the decision to vote against the Delimitation Bill. Later, he convened a meeting with district secretaries where, according to sources, he called on them to highlight impact of this Bill on representation of Tamil Nadu to the masses as part of election campaign.

“I appeal to all parties and MPs across India to unite to safeguard our democracy,” the CM said in a social media post after the meetings. “Tomorrow, across Tamil Nadu, black flags will be hoisted on homes and public spaces in protest against delimitation,” he added.

The strong pushback from southern States comes amid concerns triggered by the draft Delimitation Bill that States which managed to stabilise their population between the 1970s to 2026 could lose their strength if Lok Sabha seats are reapportioned based on the 2011 Census. While the Central government has assured that the seats will be distributed across States in their existing proportion, this is not mentioned in the drafts of the Bills circulated by the government, say MPs.

P Wilson, Rajya Sabha MP from the DMK and senior advocate, pointed out that between 1971 and 2026, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, population growth was 188 per cent and 170 per cent, whereas in Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh the growth is 314 per cent, 325 per cent and 290 per cent. “Today, the voice of the Southern States is set to be reduced in decision making and representation for adhering to population control; we MPs will oppose the Bill,” he told businessline.

Other leaders and parties of Tamil Nadu, barring the NDA ally AIADMK, too, have strongly opposed the Delimitation Bill, while welcoming the Women’s Reservation. Former Finance Minister and MP P Chidambaram said the Delimitation of Parliamentary Constituencies Bill must be “opposed unanimously and defeated.” The current representation of the five Southern States, which have stabilised their population, is 24.3 per cent. This will decrease to 20.7 per cent, he added.

Other Southern States, too, have called for implementing women’s reservation, but without any linkages to delimitation or census.

“There has to be an inclusive approach by taking into account the sentiments of all those who would be impacted by the proposed delimitation exercise, especially the States. A consensual approach in this matter is absolutely essential,” said Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in a statement.

“The consequence of a pro rata model is not merely a statistical adjustment, but will result in a systemic shift in political power,” said Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister of Telangana, urging consultations and democratic debates be used to identify other methods to do the redistribution, and voicing his support to Stalin’s call for joint action.

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said that the current approach risks concentrating power in a few large States, “weakening Karnataka and the south and undermining the federal balance”.

However, Andhra Pradesh CM and NDA ally N Chandrababu Naidu, who wrote to the political parties in the State, as well as to the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs, seeking their support for the Women’s Reservation, was silent on his views on the Delimitation Bill.

Published on April 15, 2026