India is currently in the middle of a marathon seven phase 2024 Lok Sabha election. With two phases over, the country is now gearing up for the third phase on May 7. Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, has 545 seats, but elections will be held in 543 constituencies. The remaining two of the 545 seats are filled through nomination by the President for representatives of the Anglo-Indian Community, if deemed necessary.
Of the 543 seats, 412 are designated as general seats. While 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, 47 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
States with the lowest number of Lok Sabha seats
With a seat each, the following states have the lowest count of Lok Sabha constituencies.
1. Mizoram
2. Nagaland
3. Sikkim
The Mizoram seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
UTs with the lowest number of Lok Sabha seats
The following Union Territories have just 1 Lok Sabha seat allocated to them
Ladakh
Andaman and Nicobar
Lakshadweep
Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Daman and Diu
Puducherry
Of all the UTs, only Delhi has 7 constituencies.
Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Goa have two Lok Sabha constituencies each. Tripura has one seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Meghalaya reserves both seats for STs, while Manipur has one ST-reserved seat. Arunachal Pradesh and Goa do not have any seat reservations.
How seats are allocated
The allocation of Lok Sabha seats among states is based on factors such as population size and demographics, resulting in varying seat counts.
The Delimitation Commission is the one responsible for reviewing the allocation of Lok Sabha seats among states. This commission has the authority to adjust the number of seats based on changes in population and other relevant factors.
Delimitation involves establishing boundaries for territorial constituencies within a country or province with a legislative body. In India, Delimitation Commissions have been constituted on four occasions: 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002, each under a corresponding Delimitation Commission Act.