The Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s Parliament and its primary legislative body. States were initially allocated electoral constituencies (which translate to seats for MPs in the Lok Sabha) based on their current populations.
However, the 84th Amendment froze this allocation to 1971 levels to prevent penalizing states that successfully implemented the Centre’s family planning initiatives after that year. Consequently, southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which effectively executed these programs, now have more MPs than their present populations warrant, while northern states such as Madhya Pradesh have fewer MPs.
But starting in 2031, this freeze will expire, and India will resume redistricting every ten years, ensuring that states get Lok Sabha seats that reflect states’ current populations.