Tamil Nadu’s ruling alliance has united against the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, with 19 MPs attending a meeting chaired by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday and agreeing to oppose any move that could alter the state’s present parliamentary representation.
The meeting brought together MPs from the ruling TVK’s alliance as well as parties supporting the government. However, the DMK and AIADMK stayed away, with both parties questioning the need for the meeting and sharply criticising the government.
The participating MPs agreed that the Lok Sabha should continue to have 543 seats and that Tamil Nadu’s representation should remain at 39 seats. They also called for the existing ratio between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats to remain at 2.2:1.
Tamil Nadu Wants Delimitation Freeze Extended
According to the state government, the meeting decided to adopt a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly to protect the interests of the state and other southern states against any adverse impact from delimitation.
Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar said there was no reason to change the present strength of elected bodies.
“No change is needed in the number of 543 (in Lok Sabha). Similarly, no change is warranted as regards the 39 LS seats in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Kumar also demanded that the existing delimitation freeze be extended by another 25 years. He alleged that the BJP-led Centre was considering the exercise for electoral gains and “election arithmetic”.
“Why do you want to do delimitation? Who is going to be benefited?” Kumar asked.
Chief Minister Vijay also urged all MPs and political parties to work together to protect Tamil Nadu’s interests. The government has argued that changing the current allocation could reduce the state’s political representation and influence.
‘543 Lok Sabha Seats Must Continue’
VCK chief and MP Thol Thirumavalavan said the participating MPs had unanimously agreed to oppose the proposed exercise.
“The (proposed) delimitation exercise must be dropped. The current total count of 543 (Lok Sabha seats) must continue. The seat allocation for the states must also continue as it is,” he said.
Thirumavalavan said Tamil Nadu should continue to have 39 MPs in a 543-member Lok Sabha. He also opposed any proposal to increase seats based primarily on population.
He said he expected the DMK and AIADMK to also oppose any move that could reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation despite their decision to skip Saturday’s meeting.
Congress MPs Raise Concerns
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said increasing the size of Parliament would not necessarily strengthen democracy.
“We are very clear that the number of MPs in the Lok Sabha must be frozen at 543,” he said, adding that the existing distribution of seats among states should remain unchanged.
Congress MP Jothimani said the MPs had discussed the possible consequences of any delimitation Bill brought by the Centre. She argued that a proposal to increase the number of seats by around 50 per cent across states would be harmful to Tamil Nadu and should be opposed.
The meeting was attended by 11 Congress MPs, two each from the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK, and one each from the MDMK and IUML. Congress veteran P Chidambaram, CPI(M)’s Su Venkatesan and MDMK’s Durai Vaiko were among those present.
DMK Calls Meeting ‘Farce’
The DMK and AIADMK criticised the meeting, pointing out that no new delimitation Bill has been introduced in Parliament and there has been no formal announcement on the proposed legislation.
Senior DMK leader A Raja called the meeting a “farce, a laughable exercise” and questioned why the government was discussing an issue when the details of any proposed legislation were not yet known.
The AIADMK described the gathering as a “hurriedly staged drama” and questioned the timing of the meeting.
The party asked why the Chief Minister was holding a meeting over a Bill that had not yet been introduced while, according to the AIADMK, the government’s attention had not been given to the Cauvery-Mekedatu dispute.
AIADMK Raises Farmers’ Water Concerns
The AIADMK also used the opportunity to attack the state government over the situation in the Cauvery delta.
The party claimed that the Mettur Dam had not been opened and alleged that farmers in the delta districts were facing a shortage of water.
“Without answering the tears of farmers, this government’s diversionary political drama will never be supported,” the AIADMK said.
The delimitation debate has become a major political issue in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling alliance arguing that population-based changes could disadvantage states that have successfully controlled population growth, while the Opposition has questioned the need for the state government to hold such a meeting before any Bill is formally introduced.