The term gerrymandering has entered Indian political discourse after Indian National Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is exploiting the ongoing delimitation exercise to reshape the electoral map in favour of his party.
Key Developments
- Gaurav Gogoi publicly accused the government of using delimitation as a tool for gerrymandering.
- The allegation centres on the belief that the redrawing of constituency boundaries could advantage the ruling party in upcoming elections.
- Opposition parties have called for a transparent, non‑partisan delimitation process overseen by the Election Commission.
Important Facts
- Delimitation in India is conducted by the Delimitation Commission, a constitutional body whose orders have the force of law.
- The last nationwide delimitation exercise was completed in 2008; a new round is being undertaken to reflect demographic changes.
- Critics argue that without strict safeguards, the process can be vulnerable to political influence.
UPSC Relevance
Understanding delimitation is essential for GS Paper II (Polity) as it relates to the functioning of democratic institutions, representation, and the role of independent bodies like the Election Commission. The concept of gerrymandering illustrates how electoral engineering can threaten the principle of ‘one pe