As the debate over the proposed delimitation exercise intensifies, the BJP finds itself facing growing resistance from southern states, raising concerns that the issue could deepen the political divide between them.
The Vindhyas are emerging as a political fault line for the BJP, raising fears that the party could be branded as a “northern party” in the South. Notably, the Vindhya or Vindhyachal range – stretching from Gujarat to Bihar – has long served as a major geographical, climatic and cultural divide, separating the North’s Indo-Gangetic plains from the southern Deccan Plateau.
Leaders of Southern states argue that a population-based delimitation would unfairly benefit northern states, where population growth has been higher, while penalising states that have performed better in population control and development.
Lok Sabha seats will be increased to up to 850 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise to be carried out based on the last published census.
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