Southern states will object to population-based changes in number of seats in LS, RS: Ramesh

Several southern states that have successfully implemented family planning measures will object to population-based changes in the number of seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha following the 2031 census and this would pose a big political challenge for the country, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said.

Speaking at an orientation programme for the newly-elected Rajya Sabha MPs, Ramesh talked about the role of the Upper House and its contribution to Indian democracy. Underlining the population-based representation of Rajya Sabha, Ramesh said America’s Senate is often compared with the Rajya Sabha, but there is a vast difference between the two as all states have two representatives in the Senate irrespective of population.

Besides Germany, there is no country where representation to states is given according to population, Ramesh said. Population-based representation in Rajya Sabha is a great innovation made by the makers of the Constitution, the former Union minister said during the orientation programme on Saturday.