Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Leads Opposition Against Proposed Delimitation

Meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs to Discuss Delimitation

Chennai, August 8 - A meeting chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay took place on Saturday, involving state MPs from coalition and allied parties. The primary outcome of this gathering was a unanimous decision to oppose the central government's proposed delimitation process. Notably, the main opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), along with significant Dravidian parties and the AIADMK, chose to boycott the meeting.

The DMK labeled the proceedings as a 'farce,' while the AIADMK described it as a 'hasty drama.' According to a statement released by the government, the MPs insisted that the ratio of seats between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha should remain at 2.2:1. Additionally, it was agreed that a resolution would be passed in the state assembly to permanently safeguard the rights of Tamil Nadu and other southern states regarding this issue.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chief Minister urged all MPs and political parties to collaborate in defending Tamil Nadu's rights. He emphasized that the proposed delimitation process should be withdrawn by the central government, as it would adversely affect Tamil Nadu's representation and significance. Law Minister R. Nirmal Kumar informed reporters that the decision to oppose this proposed exercise was made because there is no need to alter the number or structure of MPs in elected bodies.

Referring to the decisions made during the meeting, he stated, 'There is no need to change the current number of 543 members in the Lok Sabha. Similarly, there should be no changes to Tamil Nadu's 39 Lok Sabha seats.' The Law Minister accused the central BJP government of initiating this delimitation effort to secure an easy electoral victory while considering 'electoral mathematics.' He asserted that Tamil Nadu does not require delimitation.

In total, 19 MPs supporting the TVK government participated in the meeting. The leader of the VCK stated, 'We have passed a resolution by consensus. The proposed delimitation process should be annulled.' He reiterated that the total number of Lok Sabha seats should remain at 543, and the distribution of seats among states should remain unchanged. This means that Tamil Nadu should retain its 39 MPs.

This consensus was formalized as a resolution during the meeting. He added that there should be no consideration for increasing the number of seats by 50 percent or based on population, and this is the resolution adopted in the meeting. After the meeting, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram remarked that a larger parliament would not enhance the quality of democracy. Chidambaram stated, 'Our position is clear that the number of MPs in the Lok Sabha should remain at 543.'

He emphasized that this number should remain stable, and the distribution of seats among states should also adhere to the current ratio, meaning Tamil Nadu should continue to have 39 members in a 543-member Lok Sabha. The meeting included MPs from the ruling Tamil Gaetri Kazhagam (TVK) and its allies, Congress, VCK, MDMK, and IUML, as well as friendly parties CPI and CPM, totaling 19 MPs.

This group comprised 11 Congress MPs, two each from CPI, CPM, and VCK, and one each from MDMK and IUML. The DMK's allied parties, MNM and DMDK (each with one Rajya Sabha member), also did not attend. The AIADMK (with four Rajya Sabha members) and its ally PMK (with one Rajya Sabha member) were also absent.

The DMK holds 22 Lok Sabha members and eight Rajya Sabha members. Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan were also present at the meeting, which took place at the Kalaiyavanar Arangam government auditorium. Government sources indicated that Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar had sent separate invitations to the MPs on August 6 and 7.

DMK senior leader A. Raja commented to reporters in Perambalur that this was 'a laughable exercise,' as the TVK government was considering something about which it had no knowledge. The AIADMK dismissed the meeting as 'a hastily staged drama,' questioning why the Chief Minister was rushing to convene a meeting of MPs when no new delimitation bill had been introduced in Parliament, nor had there been any official announcement regarding it.

They asked, 'Why is the Chief Minister staging a drama under the guise of a hurried meeting of MPs?' A DMK MP remarked to a news agency that inviting MPs was a misstep, suggesting that the government should have first consulted the party's top leadership. He stated, 'MPs are supposed to follow the party's stance. This meeting is unnecessary.'

The DMK remains fully committed to protecting Tamil Nadu's interests, with party leader M.K. Stalin being the first to voice opposition against delimitation and to fight for the state's rights.