Express News Service
Representation of PeopleGovernment likely to raise Lok Sabha strength to 848
India’s new status as the world’s most populous country and the construction of the new parliament building with a seating capacity of 888 in the Lok Sabha has brought the focus back to setting up a new delimitation commission to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The seat revision was last carried out through the 31st Constitutional amendment of 1973 when the number of Lok Sabha seats increased from 524 to 545. A decision was taken in 1976 to freeze the Lok Sabha strength for the next 25 years. The LS strength was frozen for another 25 years in 2001.
A new delimitation commission is now due in 2026. Sources said that setting up a new commission would soon start. The challenge before the government would be to ensure that the states that have successfully implemented the family planning programmes and kept their population under check do not get disadvantaged in redistributing seats. Experts say that the government will have to amend Article 81 of the Constitution, which mandates an equal number of constituents for constituencies across the country and evolve a new formula for the redistribution of seats among states. As per the present population, if seats are distributed as per the old formula, the number of Lok Sabha seats will likely go up to 848, with Uttar Pradesh bagging 143 seats, while Kerala remains at 20 seats—the present number. The southern states have flagged the issue, and the government is working on reconciling the need to raise the strength of MPs and doing justice to states that have exercised population discipline.
Bihar StrategyBJP building rainbow coalition of caste parties
The BJP leadership is busy implementing its hugely successful Uttar Pradesh strategy in Bihar. In UP, while the dominant caste among the OBCs – Yadavs – largely backed the Samajwadi Party and the dominant SC caste, Jatav, backed the Bahujan Samaj Party, the BJP built a strong coalition of all non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav SCs. The strategy worked magic for the BJP, sweeping the state in successive elections. The party is now working to implement the same strategy in Bihar. While Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav command the support of the two dominant castes, Yadavs and Kurmis, the BJP has decided to win over the smaller caste leaders.
Among them are former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, late Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan, his uncle Pashupatinath Paras and VIP Party chief Mukesh Sahni. Kushwaha, who had quit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ministry to merge his party with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), hoping to emerge as his successor, is already headed back to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. He decided to leave the JD(U) after Nitish made it clear that in the event of his exit as chief minister, the leadership of the JD(U)-RJD alliance would pass on to his deputy chief minister, Tejashwi Yadav. Kushwaha has now formed a new party called the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, which, according to sources, will contest the next Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP. Another Bihar leader who has decided to join hands with the BJP is Chirag Paswan. Chirag’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) had fought the last assembly election independently, with perhaps a tacit understanding with the BJP. He has now decided to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is also in touch with Manjhi and Sahni, who are at present with the ruling coalition in the state but are ready to switch.
Representation of People
Government likely to raise Lok Sabha strength to 848
India’s new status as the world’s most populous country and the construction of the new parliament building with a seating capacity of 888 in the Lok Sabha has brought the focus back to setting up a new delimitation commission to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The seat revision was last carried out through the 31st Constitutional amendment of 1973 when the number of Lok Sabha seats increased from 524 to 545. A decision was taken in 1976 to freeze the Lok Sabha strength for the next 25 years. The LS strength was frozen for another 25 years in 2001.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
A new delimitation commission is now due in 2026. Sources said that setting up a new commission would soon start. The challenge before the government would be to ensure that the states that have successfully implemented the family planning programmes and kept their population under check do not get disadvantaged in redistributing seats. Experts say that the government will have to amend Article 81 of the Constitution, which mandates an equal number of constituents for constituencies across the country and evolve a new formula for the redistribution of seats among states. As per the present population, if seats are distributed as per the old formula, the number of Lok Sabha seats will likely go up to 848, with Uttar Pradesh bagging 143 seats, while Kerala remains at 20 seats—the present number. The southern states have flagged the issue, and the government is working on reconciling the need to raise the strength of MPs and doing justice to states that have exercised population discipline.
Bihar Strategy
BJP building rainbow coalition of caste parties
The BJP leadership is busy implementing its hugely successful Uttar Pradesh strategy in Bihar. In UP, while the dominant caste among the OBCs – Yadavs – largely backed the Samajwadi Party and the dominant SC caste, Jatav, backed the Bahujan Samaj Party, the BJP built a strong coalition of all non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav SCs. The strategy worked magic for the BJP, sweeping the state in successive elections. The party is now working to implement the same strategy in Bihar. While Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav command the support of the two dominant castes, Yadavs and Kurmis, the BJP has decided to win over the smaller caste leaders.
Among them are former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, late Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag Paswan, his uncle Pashupatinath Paras and VIP Party chief Mukesh Sahni. Kushwaha, who had quit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ministry to merge his party with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), hoping to emerge as his successor, is already headed back to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. He decided to leave the JD(U) after Nitish made it clear that in the event of his exit as chief minister, the leadership of the JD(U)-RJD alliance would pass on to his deputy chief minister, Tejashwi Yadav. Kushwaha has now formed a new party called the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, which, according to sources, will contest the next Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP. Another Bihar leader who has decided to join hands with the BJP is Chirag Paswan. Chirag’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) had fought the last assembly election independently, with perhaps a tacit understanding with the BJP. He has now decided to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is also in touch with Manjhi and Sahni, who are at present with the ruling coalition in the state but are ready to switch.
