During a Lok Sabha debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dismissed claims that southern states would lose representation due to the proposed expansion of the Lok Sabha to 816 seats. He stated that the combined strength of the five southern states—Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala—would rise from 129 to 195 seats, increasing their overall share in the House from 23.76% to nearly 24%. Shah emphasized that Karnataka's seats would increase from 28 to 42, Andhra Pradesh's from 25 to 38, Telangana's from 17 to 26, Tamil Nadu's from 39 to 59, and Kerala's from 20 to 30. He assured the people of Tamil Nadu that their political strength would not diminish and refuted allegations of potential manipulation in the delimitation process, stating that the framework follows existing law without changes. Additionally, Shah clarified the government's stance against providing reservations based on religion, asserting that such measures are unconstitutional. The Lok Sabha introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which aims to implement a one-third reservation for women in legislatures alongside the seat expansion.