Delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies hanging like sword of Damocles says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies was hanging like the sword of Damocles.

Addressing the first Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting of states on delimitation hosted by Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK in Chennai, Vijayan accused the Centre of going ahead with the delimitation process without any consultation. The sudden move is driven by narrow political interests.

The chief minister said if the delimitation process is undertaken after the Census, it will result in a large increase in the number of seats of northern states and significant reduction in the representation of the southern states in Parliament. This will suit the BJP as they hold greater influence in the north.

Pinarayi said if delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, then Kerala and other southern states will suffer. “We have been bringing down our population since 1973 when the previous delimitation was carried out, in which the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was reorganized,” he said.

The chief minister said Kerala is also being punished in the form of cutting short the share of taxes that is constitutionally due. “Our decreasing population is being cited to justify it. Kerala’s share, which was 3.875% during the 10th Finance Commission, has now dwindled to a paltry 1.925% in the 15th Finance Commission,” he added.

Pinarayi said Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab have recognised the threat and have united in protest. “Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of India's Constituent Assembly warned against the 'tyranny of the majority', advocating for States’ rights to balance central authority,” he told the meet.

“The current process of delimitation poses a serious threat to the preservation of our rich cultural and linguistic diversities as well. Redrawing constituencies solely on the basis of population, without accounting for these vital cultural and linguistic factors, risks the possibility of marginalising those regions that have long preserved their distinct identities,” he said.

Pinarayi said the Centre must initiate a meaningful dialogue with the States, incorporate their considerations and safeguard their interest before going ahead with the delimitation process. “Reducing the representation of our States will create a political and regional imbalance besides undermining the diversity of our pluralistic democracy. This must not happen. Kerala’s stance on this matter is unequivocal,” he added.

The chief minister said Centre’s approach, which violates federal principles, is unacceptable. The decision on going ahead with the delimitation process must be made only through a consensus.

If the delimitation exercise is carried out now, Kerala’s reduced population will inevitably lead to fewer parliamentary seats.

The Centre’s arguments that States will get additional seats on a pro-rata basis cannot be taken at face value. They have not yet clarified whether this pro-rata distribution will be based on the current strength of parliamentary seats or based on population figures.

The Centre should alleviate our fears. It is their responsibility to refrain from unilateral measures and preserve the essence of democracy and federalism, he said.

“We need to ensure that the delimitation exercise is carried out in such a way that our current proportional share of seats in the Parliament is retained,” he said and added that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) would take future steps to raise the issue at the national level.

“Federalism is not a gift from the Union, but a right of the States,” he said.