Delimitation and Democracy: The Politics of Electoral Boundaries
By Milan Vaishnav · 29 May 2026
Electoral delimitation - the redrawing of constituency boundaries - is among the most consequential yet least publicly debated mechanisms in Indian democracy.
Boundary delimitation (redistricting/reapportionment) is the process of partitioning voters into electoral constituencies. It happens far less often than elections, which makes it especially consequential in single- or small-member-constituency systems without preference voting - a single delimitation exercise can reshape political representation for decades. This piece examines India's approaching delimitation exercise, its ties to the delayed Census, and its far-reaching implications for how population change translates into political representation.