In Delimitation and States Reorganization for a Better Democracy in Bharat, Gautam Desiraju and Deekshit Bhattacharya present a compelling argument for a seismic reconfiguration of India’s state boundaries to rectify the foundational democratic contradictions that threaten Bharat’s political future. The authors propose a radical yet constitutionally permissible restructuring aimed at achieving “Each Vote Same Value" and “Each State Same Heft" — two principles that underpin a balanced and equitable democracy.

The central thesis is as provocative as it is necessary: the existing state boundaries, conceived through political expediency and historical accidents, have become untenable in the context of a rapidly evolving democracy. The authors propose the division of India into 75 states, each with a population of approximately two crores, thus creating political units that are both administratively manageable and electorally equitable.

The beginning of the book lays bare the startling extent of electoral inequality caused by the current delimitation freeze (since 1976) and the massive population disparities among states. A vote in Kerala, for instance, is worth far more in terms of parliamentary representation than a vote in Uttar Pradesh. This gross disparity is a blatant violation of the constitutional mandate of “One Person, One Vote" and undermines the democratic ethos. The proposed restructuring, with each state housing roughly equal populations, would not only resolve this disparity but also bring every vote closer to parity in value.

Moreover, the existing configuration allows a handful of populous states to wield disproportionate political power at the Union level, holding national governance hostage to regional interests. By equalizing state populations, Desiraju and Bhattacharya argue, India can restore the balance of........

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