Delimitation Commission of India

The Delimitation Commission of 1952 was created due to the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1951.[3] Justice N Chandrasekhara Aiyar, a retired justice of the Supreme Court, was its chairman in 1953.[4][5]

Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 1961[6]

The delimitation commission of 1973 was chaired by Justice J L Kapur, a retired justice of the Supreme Court.[7] The commission recommended the increase of the seats in the Lok Sabha from 522 to 542 (later increased to 543 with the addition of one more seat for the new state of Sikkim).[8] It also recommended increase the total number of assembly seats across all states and Union Territories in the country from 3771 to 3997 (including 32 for Sikkim's legislative assembly).[8]

The most recent delimitation commission was set up on 12 July 2002 after the 2001 census with Justice Kuldip Singh, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court as its Chairperson. The Commission has submitted its recommendations. In December 2007, the Supreme Court on a petition issued notice to the central government asking reasons for non implementation. On 4 January 2008, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) decided to implement the order from the Delimitation Commission.[9] The recommendations of the Commission was approved by President Pratibha Patil on 19 February. This means that all future elections in India for states covered by the commission will be held under the newly formed constituencies.[10]

The present delimitation of parliamentary constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census figures under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002. The assembly election in Karnataka, conducted in three phases in May 2008, was the first to use the new boundaries as drawn by the 2002 delimitation commission.[11]

The tenure of the Delimitation Commission lasted until 31 May 2008.[12] The delimitation orders issued by the Commission were given effect from 19 February 2008 for most states and union territories and 20 March 2008 for Tripura and Meghalaya, by a presidential order.[13] The orders regarding Jharkhand were nullified till 2026 by inserting section 10B into the Delimitation Act, 2002.[14]

The delimitation of four north-eastern states was deferred due to security risks, by four separate presidential orders, all issued on 8 February 2008, for Assam,[15] Arunachal Pradesh,[16] Nagaland[17] and Manipur.[18] The order regarding Assam was rescinded on 28 February 2020.[19] Subsequently, the Government of India has reconstituted the Delimitation Commission for these four states as well as the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 6 March 2020, under the chairpersonship of former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.[20] In March 2021, the four north-eastern states were removed from the purview of the reconstituted Commission.[21]

The present delimitation of parliamentary constituencies within states, has been done on the basis of the 2001 census, under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002. However, the Constitution of India was specifically amended (84th amendment) in 2002, not to have interstate delimitation of constituencies till the first census conducted after the year 2026.[2] Thus, the present constituencies carved out on the basis of the 2001 census shall continue to be in operation till then.[22]