At all party meeting stalin ‘rejects’ delimitation seeks status quo on lok sabha seats for 30 years

At all party meeting stalin ‘rejects’ delimitation seeks status quo on lok sabha seats for 30 years

An all-party meeting called by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has “unanimously rejected” the Parliamentary constituency delimitation process expected to take place in 2026.

Delimitation will “weaken” Tamil Nadu and be a “threat to India’s federal structure”, a resolution passed at the meeting in Chennai on Wednesday said.

Parties including the governing Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam and the Communist parties attended the meeting. The Bharatiya Janata Party, Naam Tamilar Katchi and Tamil Maanila Congress boycotted it.

As per the resolution passed by the meeting, held between 10 am and noon, delimitation based “exclusively” on population figures from the upcoming census will affect “the political representation rights of Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states”.

The resolution read, “It is entirely unjustifiable to reduce parliamentary representation of Tamil Nadu and other south Indian states solely because they have proactively implemented population control measures in the national interest.”

The all-party meeting has also resolved that the freeze on delimitation based on the 1971 population census, “which extends until 2026, should be extended for the foreseeable future”. In a separate address at the all-party meeting, Stalin said that the “status-quo should continue for at least three decades”.

The all-party meeting also resolved to constitute a Joint Action Committee (JAC) of different political parties of Tamil Nadu. The JAC will extend an invitation to political parties in other south Indian states to join in “the fight against delimitation”, the resolution read.

In his address, Stalin said that southern states should “collectively oppose” delimitation based on population. He added that the voice of Tamil Nadu, which has 39 MPs in the Parliament, is still not being considered by the Centre.

“A delimitation exercise will only make matters worse,” he said. Stalin had earlier said that Tamil Nadu’s share of MPs would reduce to 31 from 39 if delimitation based on population is implemented. Stalin also said that his government would take “all measures to prevent implementation of delimitation”, which poses a “grave danger” to Tamil Nadu. He also called the fight against delimitation a fight for Tamil Nadu’s rights.

Meanwhile, the state BJP, led by state president K Annamalai, called the meeting “funny”. “The fear of delimitation affecting the southern states is imaginary,” Annamalai said.