UP Congress Leader Demands More Lok Sabha Seats For Northern States, Claims Disparity In Parliament Representation

In what can stir a new North versus South debate, the Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh (UP) Jitin Prasada has said that the Lok Sabha was getting more representation from South India than North India because of the prevailing distribution of seats.

Prasada, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has written a letter to the government saying that the number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased to give more representation to northern states.

"There is disparity (in terms of seat distribution) towards the North, particularly Uttar Pradesh," Prasada told IANS. He said in North India, an MP is elected from a constituency which has a population of 25 lakh but in many states, a constituency can have a population of 10 lakh.

He added that even the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) Fund of Rs 5 crore has to be spent by a Lok Sabha member on constituencies of differing populations.

Prasada's argument is that after every Indian Census, the seats of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas were re-distributed, respectively, throughout the country so as to have equal population representation from every seat. The apportionment was done thrice in 1951, 1961 and 1971.

The seat proportion may only be changed after 2026 as the Constitution was again amended (84th Amendment) in 2002 to continue the freeze on the total number of seats in each state till 2026. The census is due in 2021 and the next Lok Sabha election will be held in 2024.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)