We Will Lose Our Voice: TN CM Stalin Calls For 'Fair' Delimitation; BJP Calls It Political Stunt

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who hosted the first Joint Action Committee on delimitation in Chennai, has said that their protest is not against delimitation but for a "fair delimitation".

The meeting will see the participation of three Chief Ministers including Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and one Deputy Chief Minister, along with 24 political leaders from six states.

Speaking at the occasion, Stalin stated, "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."

Expanding on his concerns, Stalin warned of the wide-ranging consequences of an unfair delimitation process. "If representation decreases, it will lead to a fight to get funds for states. Laws will be made even without our willingness. Decisions will be taken which will affect our people. Students will lose important opportunities. Farmers will face setbacks without support. Our culture and growth will face danger. Social justice will be affected. If delimitation of constituencies happens or representation is decreased, we will be citizens who will be losing political power in our own country."

Reiterating his stance, he added, "We don't oppose anything which strengthens democratic representation, but that action must be fair and should not affect fair political representation. This protest is not against delimitation but to urge for fair Delimitation."

What Kerala CM Said?

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also voiced strong opposition to the proposed delimitation process, calling it a politically motivated move. "Proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies is hanging over our heads... Various reports indicate that the BJP-led Union Govt is going ahead with the delimitation process without any consultation. This sudden move is not driven by any Constitutional principle or any democratic imperative. But by narrow political interests.

The delimitation process, if it is undertaken after the census, will lead to a large increase in the number of seats of northern states while there will be a significant reduction of the southern states in Parliament. This will suit the BJP as they hold greater influence in the north. If delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, then Kerala and other southern states will suffer as we have been bringing down our population since 1973 when the previous delimitation was carried out in which the number of seats in Lok Sabha was reorganised."

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Hannan Mollah echoed similar concerns, calling for a reassessment of the plan. "... The current scenario was not perceived when delimitation was thought of... Today, the population is decreasing in the South and increasing in the North. That is why delimitation should be reconsidered... Otherwise, it could be dangerous for our democracy..."

On his turn, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin stressed the importance of acknowledging the efforts of southern states in stabilizing population growth. "...For decades, States present here have made significant efforts to control and manage the population growth. We introduced policies, raised awareness and achieved what the nation aimed for - stable population growth.

While some other states continue to experience rapid population growth, we acted responsibly. As a result, we reached the population replacement rate much earlier than many other states. But instead of being rewarded for this achievement, we are now at the risk of losing our political representation."

How BJP React?

However, the meeting also faced strong opposition from Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who dismissed the concerns raised by the ruling DMK. Criticizing the Chief Minister's approach, he stated, "... In the last four years after DMK came to power, Tamil Nadu's interests have continuously been sacrificed... for political gain... TN CM has never gone to Kerala to speak with them and solve the issues, but today, he has invited the Kerala CM to talk about an artificial issue which he has created... Our condemnation is for the TN CM for inviting the Kerala CM and not solving TN's problems..."

Annamalai then accused Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar of plotting his move against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and he is in Tamil Nadu to show that he is a pan-India leader and Siddaramaiah is a regional leader. He added, "The PM has said that population is not the criteria and HM said that it is going to be on a pro-rata basis... They (DMK) are creating all of this nonsense artificially..."

The state BJP leaders showed black flags and placards against the Tamil Nadu government.