Uniform 50% Lok Sabha seat hike will widen north-south gap: Congress MP Chakravarty
Congress Rajya Sabha member Praveen Chakravarty has said that a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats for all states would not be a fair solution, describing it as "pulling the wool over someone's eyes." He argued that population-based delimitation would penalise southern states for their success in controlling population growth.
In an interview with The Hindu in Chennai, Mr. Chakravarty said the Tamil Nadu Congress does not believe that the number of seats should change if the population increases. He explained that Tamil Nadu's share of Lok Sabha seats would fall to roughly 30 if seats were allocated purely on the basis of population. "Why should we accept being punished for our successes?" he asked.
He elaborated on how a uniform 50% increase would actually widen the existing gap between northern and southern states. "Let's take Uttar Pradesh as an example. Uttar Pradesh has 80 seats, while Tamil Nadu and Puducherry combined have 40 seats. So, the difference is 40 seats. If everybody gets a 50% increase, the 40 more voices that we need to oppose will become 60 more voices. So, we are already in a minority compared to the North. Why widen this gap?"
Delimitation is the process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect population changes. India's current Lok Sabha seat distribution has been frozen until 2026, based on the 1971 census, to encourage population control efforts. Southern states, including Tamil Nadu, have expressed concerns that unfreezing the distribution would reduce their representation relative to states with higher population growth.
Mr. Chakravarty also said the Congress would ensure the number of Lok Sabha seats remains at 543 "after 2029, when Rahul Gandhi becomes Prime Minister," an assertion he made while discussing the party's position on parliamentary representation.
Asked about recent protests by young people in New Delhi, which led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over paper leaks, Mr. Chakravarty said the younger generation is seeking a radical change and does not like the entrenched politics of the establishment. He noted that the protests at Jantar Mantar reflected a desire for more sincere politics. "It's really a challenge for all political parties, including my own. Fortunately, our leader, Mr. Rahul Gandhi has coped quite well," he said.
On the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly election results, in which the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by C. Joseph Vijay, emerged as the single largest party, Mr. Chakravarty said the outcome showed a strong desire for change. He said that 60% to 70% of people below 40 expressed support for the new party. He also noted that the DMK has never won re-election in its history, saying, "When it's in power, it just goes berserk."
Mr. Chakravarty said the overwhelming support for Mr. Vijay should not be dismissed as mere "fandom." He said the verdict changed what was known about Tamil Nadu politics over the last three decades. "People are now very clear that we need a new style of politics, no hypocrisy, and they are sick and tired of corruption," he said.
Commenting on the resignation of AIADMK MLAs who later joined the TVK, Mr. Chakravarty said the younger generation would not accept "political opportunism."
