Part 2: How much does your vote count? State-wise differences

In the previous post, we saw that 'Electoral Power' - the relative power of a vote compared to national average - varies as per state. The comparison was done between the states.

This post goes one level deeper & evaluates these differences within the states.

The spread of electors per seat within a particular state can be compared through a measure called 'standard deviation'. Higher values of standard deviation mean that the distribution of electors per seats in that state is uneven- some seats may have more electoral power & others, less.

Here are some observations supported by tables:

• Punjab, Gujarat & West Bengal have the most even electoral distribution & also have a balanced electoral power. Electors here enjoy the ideal scenario.
• Andhra Pradesh, a state with electoral power closest to the national average, has quite an unbalanced electoral distribution per seat. It would be interesting to see how the scenario has changed after separation of Telangana & redrawing of the electoral boundaries in 2014.

• Kerala & Himachal Pradesh, the states with high electoral power, have balanced distribution of electors per seat. This indicates that these states have more seats & more parliamentary representation than can be logically attributed.

• Rajasthan has an even distribution of electors per seat, but has lower number of seats & less parliamentary representation than can be logically attributed.
• Delhi NCT, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh account up to 164 Lok Sabha seats; that's 30.2% of the total. These states have the most skewed electoral distribution & they also have the least electoral power. This could have been done to ensure that these big states don't dominate the national scenario & smaller states get a voice in the matter.

• Here's a list of top 20 parliamentary constituencies with the highest electoral power. Interestingly, 13 out of the 20 LS seats in Kerala have the highest electoral power in India. Polling percentage in these seats is also high.

• Similarly, here's the list of bottom 20 constituencies when ranked as per electoral power. Malkajgiri in Telangana has electoral population as huge as two constituencies in one - so voters there have the lowest electoral power. Also, all four seats from Bengaluru feature in the bottom 20; polling percentage in these seats is relatively low.

In other democracies, specifically in the US, gerrymandering has become huge issue. Faults in the electoral distribution & legislative loopholes have been exploited by political parties to maximize their political gains.

Since this exercise is statistical & depends on multiple factors, it hasn't captured the attention of the masses & hasn't received much attention in media as well. But Indian voters need to be mindful of these facts, because a small change in the electoral boundaries can lead to a huge impact on national politics & ultimately, on public policy.

Over time, an average voter in the certain regions may start feeling that his/her vote is not valued enough & that we should we redraw the boundaries to make it fairer.

There is an independent body called Delimitation Commission of India which has the power to redraw the boundaries of constituencies. The current boundaries are established based on 2001 census when India's population was 102,87,37,436. It has since increased to over 130 crore - an increase of 27%, thus prompting a need for re-evaluation.

I am hopeful that this issue will get more exposure in near future.

Let's be mindful, engaged citizens and make each vote count.

Data Source: Election commission of India's Lok Sabha election report 2014