Delimitation could become a permanent wound.

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi strongly opposed the Centre’s proposed Bills on delimitation, alleging that they would weaken the Opposition, distort federal balance, and dilute the political voice of minorities.

Speaking during a debate in the Lok Sabha on three bills introduced for amendments to the women’s quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Owaisi said the government had brought the Bills at a time when Opposition members were engaged in Assembly elections, accusing it of attempting to push legislation using its “brute majority”.

“If these bills are passed, the Opposition’s voice will be subdued,” he said.

Linking the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill with delimitation, the Hyderabad MP argued that allocating seats purely on the basis of population would disadvantage southern states. “Delimitation may not necessarily follow a fixed 10-year cycle or be strictly tied to the census. Instead, it would be influenced by the government’s discretion,” he said.

“The northern states will dominate politically while the southern states, despite contributing significantly to the economy, lose representation. This is not good for India’s democracy,” Asaduddin Owaisi said.

India’s southern states contribute nearly 30 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 21 per cent of tax revenue, and a 19 per cent population growth contribution.

Owaisi also raised concerns about alleged “gerrymandering”, citing examples from Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, and claimed that Muslim-majority constituencies had been altered in a way that reduced their representation. “Minorities, particularly Muslims, were already underrepresented and cautioned that delimitation could further weaken their political voice. Is it in the national interest that a large section of the population would have limited representation in Parliament? Democracy should enable citizens not only to vote but also to become representatives and leaders,” he pointed out.

Calling India a “Union of States”, Owaisi stressed that diversity was the country’s strength and warned that the proposed changes could undermine it. He suggested adopting a model similar to Canada’s “grandfather clause” to ensure states do not lose seats solely based on population, and called for giving greater legislative balance between states.

He warned that delimitation could become a “permanent wound,” and accused the Centre of pursuing political gains at the cost of national unity. Asaduddin Owaisi also referred to a “hybrid model” proposed by the Telangana Chief Minister, suggesting seat allocation based on a mix of population, economic performance and federal balance.

He urged the government not to alienate Muslims, OBCs and southern states, and demanded that assurances made by the Union Home Minister regarding increased seats for states like Telangana be clearly incorporated into law rather than remaining verbal commitments.