Stalin Takes Fresh Dig At Centre’s Delimitation Plans, Urges Newlyweds To 'Have Children Immediately'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has taken a sarcastic swipe at the Centre's delimitation plans, urging newlywed couples to start families immediately to ensure the state gains an advantage when the delimitation exercise takes place.

Speaking at the wedding of a DMK district secretary in Nagapattinam, Stalin remarked that he would previously advise newlyweds to take their time before planning a family.

"But now, with policies such as delimitation that the Union Government is planning to implement, we cannot say that. We focused on family planning and succeeded and were pushed into a situation such as this. So I would now urge newlyweds to immediately have babies and give them good Tamil names," he said.

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has been at the forefront of the opposition to the government's delimitation plans. Delimitation involves redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect population changes over time.

Stalin has argued that the proposed delimitation exercise, expected after 2026, will put southern states at a disadvantage. He contends that these states have successfully implemented family planning policies over the years, but this success could now backfire, reducing their representation in Parliament.

Despite their major contributions to the country's GDP and welfare, these states may end up with less political influence due to demographic changes, Stalin has asserted.

Responding to Stalin's remarks, BJP spokesperson CR Keshavan accused the DMK of resorting to a "desperate and dishonest diversionary drama".

"Does the DMK, which is engaging in desperate and dishonest diversionary drama, have the courage to question Rahul Gandhi and seek an explanation on his call for 'Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq', meaning rights proportionate to the population? This call of Rahul Gandhi is in direct contradiction with what DMK is purportedly claiming," he said.

Keshavan further alleged that the DMK was attempting to divert attention from its "gross mismanagement, misrule and misgovernance".

Accusing the Centre of imposing Hindi under the guise of the national education policy, Stalin also made a subtle appeal to the state BJP, urging it not to boycott an all-party meeting called to discuss the delimitation issue.

"They are trying to implement delimitation that will reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats to Tamil Nadu. I have convened an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss our stand on delimitation. 40 parties registered with the Election Commission have been invited. A majority of them have said yes, and a few are skipping it. But they should understand that this is not a problem of DMK, it is a problem for the entire state. So I urge everyone again to stand together for the welfare of this state and its rights," he said.