Article 82 and the Delimitation Mechanism
Article 82 of the Constitution requires Parliament to enact a Delimitation Act after every Census, under which the allocation of Lok Sabha seats among the states, and the division of each state into territorial constituencies, is readjusted. Delimitation is thus constitutionally meant to be a recurring, census-linked exercise ensuring that representation keeps pace with population change.
- Delimitation is carried out by a Delimitation Commission constituted under a Delimitation Act (most recently the Delimitation Act, 2002), typically comprising a retired or sitting Supreme Court judge as chairperson, the Chief Election Commissioner (or an Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC), and the concerned State Election Commissioners, with Members of Parliament and state legislators from the affected states as non-voting associate members.
- Delimitation covers two distinct functions: allocating the total number of seats among states (inter-state allocation) and redrawing individual constituency boundaries within a state (intra-state boundaries).
- The last Delimitation Commission (2002–2008) redrew constituency boundaries using 2001 Census data but did not alter the total number of seats allotted to each state, which has remained based on the 1971 Census since 1976.
● Tracked since July 30, 2026 · last seen August 09, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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