On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hosted a significant meeting in Chennai, bringing together leaders from various states, including Kerala, Telangana, and Punjab, to discuss the issue of delimitation. Stalin hailed the event as a historic moment for Indian federalism, emphasising the unity of states in their commitment to a “fair delimitation.” The meeting was framed as the beginning of a movement to protect states’ political representation and safeguard the federal structure of India.
Stalin stressed the need to prevent a population-based redistribution of constituencies, arguing that it would disproportionately harm states like Tamil Nadu that have successfully managed population growth. “Delimitation of constituencies should not happen as per current population. We all should be firm in opposing it… With the decrease in the people’s representatives in Parliament, our strength to express our views will decrease,” he said at the meeting.
Disputes Between DMK and BJP
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has been at odds with the BJP over various issues, including the withholding of education funds, and the delimitation exercise has become a new flashpoint. Stalin has consistently argued that the 1971 population figures should serve as the basis for the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats over the next 30 years. He further called for legislative safeguards to ensure that South Indian states, particularly Tamil Nadu, are not politically marginalised. “At least eight seats will be lost if they proceed with delimitation as planned,” he warned.
However, the ruling BJP has dismissed the meeting as mere political drama. BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai criticised Stalin’s efforts, calling it a “delusional drama on delimitation.” He also accused the DMK of failing to convene similar meetings on other contentious issues such as the Cauvery and Mullaiperiar water-sharing disputes with Karnataka and Kerala. The BJP also staged a black flag protest in response to the meeting, accusing Stalin of misusing the event to deflect attention from alleged corruption within the DMK-led government.
MK Stalin Calls Amit Shah’s Delimitation Promise Ambiguous
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has attempted to address the dispute, claiming that southern states will not lose any parliamentary seats in the upcoming delimitation exercise. However, Stalin has called this assurance “ambiguous,” questioning Shah’s statement since it was made at a public rally rather than in Parliament.
Leaders from other states, including Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, A Revanth Reddy of Telangana, and Bhagwant Mann of Punjab, attended the meeting, expressing their solidarity with the demand for fair delimitation. While the opposition leaders are not against delimitation itself, they are firm in their demand for a fair process that does not penalise progressive states for their population control efforts.
Stalin’s Reminder to Leaders
In his address, Stalin reminded the leaders of the crucial link between political representation and a state’s ability to secure justice. “Manipur has been burning for two years, and its people’s demands are being ignored because they don’t have the representation to make their voices count,” he said, underscoring the importance of maintaining robust representation in Parliament.
As tensions mount over the delimitation issue, Stalin’s call for opposition unity seeks to protect the interests of states that could be adversely affected by the proposed changes.
