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Tamil Nadu 59, Karnataka 42: Amit Shah shares breakdown of Lok Sabha states after delimitation
Amit Shah said that the Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka would be increased from 28 to 42, while the representation will remain unchanged from 5.15% to 5.14%.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday sought to give "practical interpretation" on delimitation even as the Opposition flagged concerns over Northern states benefitting from the exercise, while the Southern states lagging behind due to the mismatch in population growth over the decades.
While speaking in Lok Sabha, Shah sought to clear the air amid opposition attacks over the representation of Southern states and said the seats will be increased in proportion to the existing seats.
Shah was referring to the three bills that have been presented in Lok Sabha, that seek to increase the seats from the existing 543 to 850 and ensure one-third women representation in the Lok Sabha. The proposal has received protest from the Sothern states and opposition parties over an advantage to Northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
"In Karnataka, there are 28 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 543 and 5.15% MPs come from Karnataka in the house. After the bill is passed, the strength of Karnataka MPs will be increased from 28 to 42, while the representation will 5.14%. So there is no loss to Karnataka," Amit Shah told Lok Sabha.
Also Read: What is delimitation bill, concerns over North vs South and why is Opposition against it | Explained
Speaking of Andhra, he said while the number of Lok Sabha seats will be increased from 25 to 38, the representation will be increased 4.60% to 4.65% after delimitation.
"In Telangana, there are 17 seats, while the representation in the house of 543 members, the representation is 3.13%. Now after an increase of 50% members, the seats will be increased to 26, while the representation will be increased to 3.18%," he added.
On Tamil Nadu, the union minister assured the people of the state that their power would not be reduced, but it would increase.
"39 MPs are elected from Tamil Nadu and in the house of 543 members, the representation is 7.18% and after the increase, the strength of MPs would be increased to 59 and their representation in the house of 816 members would be 7.23%," he added.
He further said the number of Lok Sabha seats in the five southern states will go up from the present 129 to 195 seats, while the representation will increase from 23.76% to 23.87%.
What the new number looks like
The clarification from Amit Shah comes after Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal earlier in the day said Lok Sabha seats of all states will be increased by 50% after the new delimitation exercise.
"Seats of all states will be increased by 50%. The total Lok Sabha seats would be 815, and 272 will be reserved for women," Meghwal said, calling it a simple formula to ensure no states are deprived.
The clarification from the two ministers came as the draft bill showed that the biggest gainers would be UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP and Maharashtra. On the other hands, the proposal showed that the laggards would be Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh (+Telangana), Odisha, and West Bengal.
Going by the numbers suggested by Shah, the new distribution would look like the following:
| States | Lok Sabha seats as of 2024 polls | Increased seats |
|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | 28 | 42 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 25 | 38 |
| Telangana | 17 | 26 |
| Tamil Nadu | 39 | 59 |
The government has maintained that the delimitation will be based on the 2011 census. The delimitation will also operationalise one-third reservation for women in Parliament, a long-pending plan approved in 2023.
