NO PILL CAN FULLY RELIEVE THE SOUTH'S DELIMITATION PAIN

A constitutional process put off due to political expediency five decades ago is now causing anxiety, especially in South India. When the new delimitation commission begins its cartography to redraw parliamentary constituencies across the country three years from now, the North will get more seats and by extension, a bigger say in the House of the People-whichever way the government goes about it.

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If it stays with the Constitution's current cap on the number of constituencies, states in the South will have to shed seats. But if the basket of constituencies itself is expanded to ensure that no state loses any seat so as to reward achievers for lowering their fertility rate, the North's count would further swell. Suits the ruling BJP just fine. The government could be preparing for the second option as the new parliament was built to address accommodation issues and the new Lok Sabha has at least 300 more seats. Else, it could end up adding oil to fire, as the South is already upset over the finance commiss