'Expanding House Is Democratic Necessity': Nara Lokesh Hits Back At Shashi Tharoor On Delimitation

Published 18 June 2026 · india

'Expanding House Is Democratic Necessity': Nara Lokesh Hits Back At Shashi Tharoor On Delimitation Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 09:44 IST Lokesh pointed

'Expanding House Is Democratic Necessity': Nara Lokesh Hits Back At Shashi Tharoor On Delimitation Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 09:44 IST Lokesh pointed to the growth in India's population since the 1971 freeze on delimitation and said an increase in the size of the Lok Sabha had become necessary. Rapid Read AP Minister Nara Lokesh. (ANI) Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday defended the NDA government’s stance on delimitation, saying an expansion of the Lok Sabha coupled with retention of states’ proportional share of seats would maintain the existing political balance while improving representation. His remarks came in response to concerns raised by Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, who questioned Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s support for preserving the current proportion of seats in an enlarged House. Tharoor had argued that larger states would continue to gain more MPs in absolute terms, thereby increasing their political influence.

In a post on X, Lokesh pointed to the growth in India’s population since the 1971 freeze on delimitation and said an increase in the size of the Lok Sabha had become necessary. “India in 2026 is not India in 1971. Our population has grown from about 55 crore to nearly 146 crore. While Lok Sabha membership has remained virtually unchanged, the average MP today represents nearly 2.5 times as many citizens as an MP did when the freeze was imposed. Expanding the House is therefore a democratic necessity, not a political choice," Lokesh said. Addressing Tharoor’s concerns over the impact of a proportionate increase in seats, Lokesh referred to Article 81 of the Constitution and said the freeze linked to the 1971 Census had always been intended as a temporary measure. He argued that maintaining each state’s existing share while increasing the overall number of seats would protect states that had successfully controlled population growth and improve representation across the country.

Lokesh also asserted that the Constitution does not grant any state greater representation per voter than another and that its objective is to ensure that every citizen’s vote carries nearly equal weight. Responding to Tharoor’s analogy involving salary hikes for a high-income employee and a driver, the minister said the balance of power in Parliament depends on voting strength on the floor of the House. “As for your thought experiment, parliamentary influence ultimately flows from votes on the floor of the House. Whether a simple majority or a two-thirds majority is required, a proportionate increase for all states leaves those equations unchanged. If everyone receives the same proportional increase, nobody gains an advantage over anyone else," he said. (With inputs from PTI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.