Date: 2026-04-16Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah intervenes in the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Delimitation Bill, 2026, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026
**Executive Summary**
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Lok Sabha regarding the Delimitation Bill 2026 and related constitutional amendments, proposing an increase in Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816. The document clarifies that southern Indian states will see their collective representation rise from 129 to 195 seats, maintaining a stable share of approximately 24% of the House. Implementation is strictly scheduled for after 2029, ensuring no impact on current or upcoming elections until that date.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Legislative Provisions and Seat Allocation**
* **Seat Increase:** The total number of Lok Sabha seats is proposed to increase to 816, with 850 serving as a rounded-off upper limit.
* **Act Consistency:** The Delimitation Commission Act has been repeated exactly from the existing version without any textual changes.
* **Approval Process:** The Delimitation Commission’s report will only take effect following Parliamentary approval and the assent of the President.
**Southern State Representation**
* **Collective Growth:** Representation for South India will increase from 129 to 195 MPs, ensuring no state suffers a loss in representation.
* **State-Specific Increases:**
* **Karnataka:** 28 to 42 seats (5.14% share).
* **Andhra Pradesh:** 25 to 38 seats (4.65% share).
* **Telangana:** 17 to 26 seats (3.18% share).
* **Tamil Nadu:** 39 to 59 seats (7.23% share).
* **Keralam:** 20 to 30 seats (approx. 3.67% share).
**Census and Caste Data**
* **Caste Census Decision:** The Union Cabinet has decided to include a caste census in the upcoming national census.
* **Two-Phase Process:** The census consists of house enumeration (currently underway) followed by individual enumeration.
* **Data Collection:** Caste-related information will be recorded during the individual enumeration phase, as the current house enumeration forms do not include a caste option.
**Timeline and Electoral Stability**
* **Post-2029 Implementation:** The provisions of the Bill will not be implemented before 2029.
* **Current Elections:** Ongoing elections, including those in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, are unaffected.
* **Existing Practice:** All elections held up to 2029 will be conducted based on existing seats and current practices.
**Impact Analysis**
**Southern Indian States (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Keralam)**
**Impact**
These states will receive a significant increase in the number of elected representatives. Their proportional strength in the Lok Sabha will remain stable at approximately 24%, addressing concerns regarding reduced influence.
**Action Required**
State governments and political representatives must prepare for a larger number of constituencies and revised seat distributions following the 2029 threshold.
**Citizens of India**
**Impact**
The population will be subject to a revised census format that includes the collection of caste-related data.
**Action Required**
Citizens must participate in the two-phase census, providing house enumeration data in the current phase and individual/caste data during the subsequent phase.
**Election Commission and Electoral Authorities**
**Impact**
There is no immediate change to electoral boundaries or seat counts for any elections scheduled before 2029.
**Action Required**
Maintain existing electoral practices and seat allocations for all national and state elections conducted until 2029.
Key Entities Referenced
Delimitation Bill, 2026: Proposed legislation to reorganize parliamentary constituencies and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816.
Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026: A constitutional amendment bill discussed in the Lok Sabha to facilitate changes in parliamentary representation.
South India: The central geographic focus of the policy impact, specifically concerning seat increases in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Keralam.
Delimitation Commission Act: The existing legislative framework for redrawing constituency boundaries, which the 2026 Bill adopts without modification.
Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026: One of the three primary bills introduced to manage legislative changes in representation and governance.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Union Home Minister and Minister of
Cooperation Shri Amit Shah intervenes in the
discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Delimitation
Bill, 2026, the Constitution (131st Amendment)
Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2026
No injustice will be done to any state, particularly to the
states of South India
The Delimitation Bill, 2026 will benefit the southern states, not
harm them
At present, there are 129 MPs from South India; after this Bill,
the number will increase to 195
We have not made any changes to the Delimitation
Commission Act; we have repeated the existing Act exactly,
down to the full stops and commas
This Act will have no impact on the ongoing elections,
whether in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal; there is no question of
it being implemented before 2029
All elections to be held up to 2029 will be conducted on the
existing seats and under the present practice
The census is conducted in two phases—first, the
enumeration of houses, and then of individuals, the first
phase is currently underway, in which houses are being
counted, and since houses do not have a caste, there is no
option for caste in the form at this stage
The question of caste census will arise when the enumeration
of individuals is carried out850 seats is a rounded-off figure and represent the upper
limit; the exact number of seats will be 816, even at present,
the rounded-off figure is not 543 seats, but 550 seats
Karnataka’s existing 28 seats will increase to 42, and the
state’s share in the total seats will remain almost the same at
5.14 percent, compared to the current 5.15 percent
Andhra Pradesh’s seats will increase from 25 to 38, and the
state’s share in the total seats will rise from 4.60 percent to
4.65 percent
Telangana’s number of seats will increase from 17 to 26, and
its share will rise from 3.13 percent to 3.18 percent
I want to assure the people of Tamil Nadu that your strength
will not decrease; rather, it is increasing
Tamil Nadu’s existing seats will increase from 39 to 59, and
the state’s share in the total seats will rise from 7.18 percent
to 7.23 percent
Keralam’s 20 seats will increase to 30, and the state’s share
of seats will remain almost the same
Posted On: 16 APR 2026 8:44PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, while intervening in the discussion in
the Lok Sabha on the Delimitation Bill, 2026, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the
Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, said that a misconception is being spread that after these
three bills, the representation of the southern states in the Lok Sabha will significantly reduce and they
will suffer a major loss.
Union Home Minister said that the Delimitation Bill, 2026 will not harm the southern states but will, in
fact, benefit them. He stated that under the 50% increase model, the current 543 seats in the Lok Sabha
will rise to 816, leading to an increase in the number of seats for all southern states. Union Home Minister
added that the existing 129 seats of the southern states in the Lok Sabha will increase to 195, and their
share in the total seats of the House will remain almost the same at around 24 per cent.
Shri Amit Shah said that in the present House of 543 members, Karnataka currently has 28 members,
which is about 5.15 per cent of the total. After the passage of the proposed bills and the constitutional
amendment, the number of seats for Karnataka will increase from 28 to 42. In that case, in a Lok Sabha of
816 members, Karnataka’s representation will remain around 5.14 per cent, therefore, Karnataka will not
suffer any loss.Union Home Minister said that Andhra Pradesh currently has 25 seats, with a representation of about 4.60
per cent in the 543-member House. After the proposed changes, with an increase of around 50 percent, the
number of seats will rise to 38, and Andhra Pradesh’s representation will increase to about 4.65 per cent.
Similarly, Telangana currently has 17 seats, with a representation of about 3.13 percent in the existing Lok
Sabha. After the proposed increase, the number of seats will go up to 26, and its representation will reach
around 3.18 percent.
Shri Amit Shah said that he would like to assure the people of Tamil Nadu that their strength will not
decrease but will, in fact, increase. The representation of Tamil Nadu will not decline; rather, it will grow.
At present, 39 members are elected from Tamil Nadu, which is about 7.18 percent of the 543-member
House. After the proposed 50 percent increase, the number of seats will rise to around 59, and in the new
House of 816 members, its representation will be about 7.23 percent. Therefore, it is clear that there will
be no reduction in the representation of these states; instead, there will be an increase.
Union Home Minister said that Keralam currently has 20 Lok Sabha MPs, representing about 3.68 percent
of the 543-member House. After the proposed increase, this number will rise from 20 to 30, and the
representation will remain around 3.67 percent.
Shri Amit Shah said that if the overall representation of southern India is considered, currently 129 MPs
come from the southern states in the 543-member House, which is about 23.76 percent. After the proposed
50 percent increase, this number will rise from 129 to 195, and in the 816-member House, their
representation will be around 23.87 percent, i.e., approximately 24 percent. This makes it clear that the
overall representational strength of the southern states will increase.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah also said that under the leadership of
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet has decided to conduct a caste census, and caste-
related data will also be collected in the upcoming census. He stated that the census is conducted in two
phaes—first, the enumeration of houses, and then of individuals, the first phase is currently underway, in
which houses are being counted, and since houses do not have a caste, there is no option for caste in the
form at this stage. The Home Minister added that caste-related information will also be recorded while
collecting data on individuals during the population enumeration phase.
Shri Amit Shah said that we have not made any changes to the Delimitation Commission Act; we have
repeated the existing Act exactly, down to the full stops and commas. He stated that if the Act had been
used for any kind of manipulation in the past, he cannot comment on that, but the present government has
made no such attempt. Union Home Minister clarified that the report of the Delimitation Commission will
come into effect only after it is approved by Parliament and receives the assent of the President. Therefore,
there is no question of this process being implemented before 2029. Shri Shah said that this Act will have
no impact on the ongoing elections, whether in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal; there is no question of it
being implemented before 2029. All elections to be held up to 2029 will be conducted on the existing seats
and under the present practice.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that in a democracy, power is determined by the will and thinking
of the citizens, not merely by political parties or leaders. He stated that no one can manipulate the mandate
of 1.3 billion people; if that were possible, there would not have been changes in government in the past.
He also said that even during the Emergency in India, public opinion could not be permanently influenced,
and the people delivered its verdict through democratic means. Shri Amit Shah emphasized that no one
has the capacity to end democracy in the country, and history bears witness that whenever such attempts
have been made, the people have rejected them.
543 seats to 816 seats (50% increase model)Sl. No. State Total Seats 543 Present Status Increase of Revised
Number of Seats Percentage of 543 50% Status
(Appx.)
Percentage
of 816
1. Karnataka 28 5.15% 42 5.14%
2. Andhra 25 4.60% 38 4.65%
Pradesh
3. Telangana 17 3.13% 26 3.18%
4. Tamil Nadu 39 7.18% 59 7.23%
5. Keralam 20 3.68% 30 3.67%
Total 129 23.76 195 23.87
(Appx. 24%) (Appx. 24%)
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