Chandigarh, March 6 — Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari on Thursday cautioned that the current delimitation formula would significantly reduce Lok Sabha seats in northern states, including Punjab and Haryana.
Calling for a new approach or a perpetual freeze, he argued that the existing principle of “one citizen, one vote, one value” would not only impact the south but also diminish North India’s representation.
Citing projections, Tewari said Punjab and Haryana, which currently have 13 and 10 Lok Sabha seats respectively, would see their combined strength drop to 18 if the existing formula is followed. “Central India, which lags in population stabilisation, would be the only beneficiary,” he noted.
Responding to The Tribune’s report on Tamil Nadu’s demand to use the 1971 census as a benchmark, Tewari questioned the implications of the current formula.
“Would Punjab accept parity with Haryana? Would Himachal retain its seats? Would J&K be satisfied with a marginal rise from six to nine?” he asked.
He stressed that without a revised approach, northern states—already politically marginalised—would become even more inconsequential. “A new formula for delimitation has to be found, or the process must be frozen,” he said.
