The Delimitation Debate: The Union and its Units

Published 7 July 2026 · india

In a historic shift unseen for over five decades, India stands on the precipice of a profound constitutional and political reconfiguration. The Delimitation Debate: The

In a historic shift unseen for over five decades, India stands on the precipice of a profound constitutional and political reconfiguration. The Delimitation Debate: The Union and its Units explores the impending redistribution of Lok Sabha seats following the next Census— an exercise that threatens to dilute the parliamentary influence of the southern States that successfully implemented population control in favour of the northern States with a higher demographic growth. The e-book frames the upcoming delimitation not merely as a technical administrative adjustment, but as a critical re-litigation of India’s organising principles and its federal compact. At the heart of it is the mounting tension between the democratic ideal of “one person, one vote, one value” and the fragile balance of India’s federal structure. The essays in this collection venture far beyond simple electoral maths, unpacking a complex web of interconnected democratic challenges.

Authored by a distinguished panel of constitutional scholars, political scientists, former civil servants, and veteran journalists from The Hindu, this collection will have readers confront the shifting realities of representation, examine how policies are increasingly fostering a “differentiated citizenship” based on group affiliations, critically assess the credibility of the Election Commission, and question whether the First-Past-the-Post system still serves marginalised communities. The authors decode the complexities of fiscal federalism, the politics of the Census, and the long road to women’s representation while warning us of the impending “single-spectrum test of democracy”. Read this to understand how electoral roll revision, Census, and delimitation will permanently redefine the relationship between the Union and its regional constituents, ultimately deciding the future of Indian democracy. What’s inside • Introduction: Counting on people, by Varghese K.

George • A case for a fresh reorganisation of States, by Sanjeev Chopra • The politics of counting and labelling people, by Abhinay Lakshman • Firm and friendly umpire: a test of the EC’s level playing field, by Ashok Lavasa • The representative and the represented, by Raja Sekhar Vundru • Representation, group injustice, and differentiated citizenship, by Vidhu Verma • Muslim representation: a revisionist argument, by Hilal Ahmed • The long road to women’s representation in politics, by Nistula Hebbar • Rethinking the rules of the game, by S.Y. Quraishi • The SIR-Census-Delimitation as a single-spectrum test of democracy, by G.N. Devy • Party and capital: how big money distorts representation, by Zoya Hasan and Avishek Jha • Delimitation debates and options ahead, by Radha Kumar • Blind alleys of the electoral maps, by Soumya Shankar • Northeast India: regimes of representation and how difference matters, by G.