The Supreme Court of India has declined a petition seeking the early delimitation of Legislative Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ahead of the 2026 Census. The petition, filed by K Purushottam Reddy, argued that the government’s decision to carry out delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 without similar adjustments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was discriminatory and sought parity in seat redistribution.

In its judgment, the court emphasized the importance of maintaining the uniform electoral framework outlined in the Constitution, citing the provisions in Articles 82 and 170, which prohibit any readjustment of seats or division of states into territorial constituencies before the publication of the first census data conducted after 2026. The Supreme Court underscored that any isolated exceptions made in favor of a few states would contravene the principle of equality enshrined in Article 14. It warned that overlooking this constitutional timeline would not only destabilize the established electoral framework but also blur the distinction between constitutional mandates and political discretion.

The verdict is particularly noteworthy as Parliament is scheduled to begin discussions on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill during a special three-day session. The proposed legislation aims to increase the Lok Sabha seats to 850 and seeks to remove the freeze on seat allocation imposed by the current constitutional provisions, allowing for delimitation to be conducted based on census data specified by Parliament, potentially relying on figures from the 2011 census.

While the government has assured that the delimitation process will ensure equitable distribution of seats across states, opposition voices, particularly from southern states where governments have successfully implemented population control measures, have raised concerns. They argue that the reallocation could enable gerrymandering and result in political marginalization of their regions.

The Supreme Court’s ruling reinforces adherence to constitutional provisions by deferring any delimitation adjustments until after the 2026 Census, maintaining the electoral status quo in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the time being. This decision sets a clear judicial boundary ahead of anticipated legislative changes aimed at redefining seat distribution based on updated population data.