In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram discussed the ongoing debate over delimitation and its potential impact on southern states. He explained that while the principle of one person, one vote under Article 81 of the Constitution was originally sound, uneven population growth has created a disparity. Chidambaram noted that southern states stabilised their populations through family planning, lowering their total fertility rates, whereas northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan continue to grow above the national average. He stated, “If you apply Article eighty-one two A today, it will mean that the southern states will lose parliamentary seats.” Chidambaram argued that increasing the total number of parliamentary seats from 543 to 815 does not solve the issue, calling it an illusion because the relative proportionate representation of the southern states will still sharply decline. He emphasised that regardless of whether the 2011 census or a post-2026 census is applied, the ratio of seats will worsen for southern states and improve for northern states.
