50% Seat Increase Formula to Guide Future Delimitation, Most States Retain Share
By Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, April 16, 2026:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that a 50 percent increase formula will be applied for the proposed expansion of Lok Sabha seats, a move that is expected to significantly raise the strength of the House from 543 to around 815.
An analysis based on the proposed formula indicates that while all major states will see a substantial rise in the absolute number of seats, their percentage share in Parliament is likely to remain largely unchanged.
For instance, Uttar Pradesh will increase from 80 to 120 seats, yet its share stays almost constant at around 14.7%. Similarly, Bihar and Karnataka show minimal variation in their proportional representation despite higher seat numbers.
However, southern states such as Tamil Nadu may witness a decline in their share, dropping from about 7.18% to nearly 6.38%, highlighting concerns over shifting political balance. Smaller states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to see negligible changes in their overall representation.
The proposed formula suggests a uniform expansion approach, aiming to maintain proportional balance while accommodating population growth. However, the debate around delimitation continues, with political parties and states closely watching how representation—and influence—may evolve in the coming years.
The issue remains politically sensitive, as the real impact lies not just in the number of seats, but in the relative share of each state in national decision-making.
? Proposed Increase in Lok Sabha Seats (50% Formula) with Representation %
|
? State
|
? Present Seats (543)
|
? % Share
|
? Projected Seats (815)
|
? % Share
|
? Net Gain
|
|
Uttar Pradesh
|
80
|
14.73%
|
120
|
14.72%
|
+40
|
|
Bihar
|
40
|
7.37%
|
60
|
7.36%
|
+20
|
|
Rajasthan
|
25
|
4.60%
|
37
|
4.54%
|
+12
|
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
29
|
5.34%
|
45
|
5.52%
|
+16
|
|
Tamil Nadu
|
39
|
7.18%
|
52
|
6.38%
|
+13
|
|
Andhra Pradesh + Telangana
|
42
|
7.73%
|
63
|
7.73%
|
+21
|
|
Kerala
|
20
|
3.68%
|
30
|
3.68%
|
+10
|
|
Karnataka
|
28
|
5.16%
|
42
|
5.15%
|
+14
|
|
Punjab
|
13
|
2.39%
|
19
|
2.33%
|
+6
|
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
4
|
0.74%
|
6
|
0.74%
|
+2
|
|
Uttarakhand
|
5
|
0.92%
|
7
|
0.86%
|
+2
|
|
Northeast (excluding Assam)
|
11
|
2.03%
|
16
|
1.96%
|
+5
|