The delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population alone risks penalising states that achieved better demographic transition. Critically examine the multi-factor approach recommended by the EAC-PM and its implications for federal equity.

Articles 81 and 82 require Lok Sabha seats to be allocated in proportion to population, but the 42nd and 84th Amendments froze state-wise shares at 1971 levels precisely to avoid penalising states that curbed population growth. The EAC-PM's 2026 working paper seeks a middle path between arithmetic proportionality and federal fairness.

The population-only problem

• The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposed restoring proportional allocation on the 2011 Census, raising the ceiling from 550 to 850 seats [1].
• Under that model Uttar Pradesh gains nine seats while Tamil Nadu loses seven — demographic success translating into political loss [2].

The EAC-PM's multi-factor alternative

• Expands the House from 543 to 824 by targeted splitting of 170 constituencies (59 two-way, 111 three-way), not uniform reapportionment [3].
• Criteria include voter turnout, constituency area, SC/ST population, linguistic diversity and social polarisation, with a broadly uniform baseline expansion that preserves each large state's existing seat share [3].

Merits

• Protects federal equity: Kerala 20→30, Tamil Nadu 39→59 alongside UP 80→120, leaving the North–South balance undisturbed [3].
• Smaller constituencies improve the MP–voter ratio and deepen representation; small States/UTs gain proportionately.
• Enables the dormant 106th Amendment women's reservation, operative only after fresh delimitation [2].

Limitations

• EAC-PM is advisory, not the statutory Delimitation Commission headed by a Supreme Court judge [2].
• Criteria like "social polarisation" lack statutory definition, inviting administrative discretion and litigation pressure despite non-justiciability.
• Freezing shares dilutes the one-person-one-vote principle; three-way splits concentrated in northern states sharpen political optics.
• The April 2026 Bills were negated within a day, confirming absent consensus [1].

Federal equity demands that neither demographic discipline nor democratic proportionality be sacrificed. The way forward lies in statutorily codifying transparent multi-factor criteria, entrusting them to a duly constituted Delimitation Commission, and building consensus through the Inter-State Council — honouring the Constitution's vision of India as a Union of States.