Periodic delimitation and reallocation of parliamentary seats are often justified on the democratic principle of one person, one vote, one value, as they seek to ensure fair representation for constituencies experiencing notable population growth.

But how does this endeavour to address the representational imbalance reflect on the federal balance? Is it in tension with the constitutional objective of ensuring equitable political representation for each federal unit? Let’s explore. But first, what is delimitation?

Delimitation refers to the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province with a legislative body. Article 81 of the Constitution of India mandates that each state should get seats in proportion to its population.…