Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the upcoming delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, set to take place in 2026 and the state would stand to lose eight seats if it was done based on population.
In his speech at the All Party meeting convened by the State government–which was boycotted by the BJP–to discuss the critical issue, he warned that the state could face a significant reduction in its representation in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Stalin said that Tamil Nadu’s commitment to family planning and women’s empowerment, which successfully controlled population growth, might now lead to a reduction in parliamentary seats.
“If the current 543 seats remain unchanged, due to lower population growth we might lose eight constituencies, reducing our total representation from 39 to 31,” he said, in the meeting in which leaders of about 40 political parties, including the Opposition AIADMK and the fledging Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam of actor Vijay took party, and spoke in one voice against reducing the number of Parliamentary seats in the State.
The Chief Minister also explained possible outcomes if the total number of Lok Sabha seats were increased to 848. If the delimitation was based on pro-rata basis, Tamil Nadu could get 22 additional constituencies. However, if it was carried out purely based on population, the state might only gain 10 seats, effectively resulting in a net loss of 12 seats, he added.
“In this both forms–pro-rata and population based delimitation exercise, our representation and importance would be reduced and States with higher population will get higher seats and higher representation”, he said.
“This will stifle the voice of Tamil Nadu”, Mr Stalin said, adding, this was not just an issue about reduction in number of MPs, but an worrisome issue concerning the rights of Tamil Nadu”.
Pointing out that the All Party meeting was convened as Tamil Nadu was pushed to a situation wherein it has to stage a massive protest to protect its rights, the Chief Minister said the Sword of Damocles in the form of Delimitation has been hanging over South Indian States and Tamil Nadu will be severely affected by this exercise as the danger of losing its total number of 39 seats was fast approaching.
“Tamil Nadu is being forced into a major struggle to protect its rights. The sword of delimitation is hanging over the southern states, and our representation is at risk,” Stalin stated.
Appealing to all parties to sink their differences and join together cutting across political barriers to raise our voice against the delimitation process based on population as it would reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in the Lok Sabha, Mr Stalin said “all of us should jointly destroy this conspiracy”.
Reducing the number of seats in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha based on population numbers would only be construed as a punishment to the southern states, which have effectively controlled the population growth and contributed to the development of the country, the Chief Minister said.
“Having realised this well in advance, a resolution was adopted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on February 14 last year, which had vowed to protect the State’s rights, federal principles” ad people’s representation, he pointed out.
Stating that the proposed delimitation poses a serious threat not only to Tamil Nadu, but also to all the Southern States, Mr Stalin hoped that “there will be no differences of opinion among us…I wish there should not be on this critical issue”.
Observing that this posed a grave threat to country’s federal principles and political rights of Southern States, the Chief Minister said this was a direct affront of democratically assured political representation of Tamil Nadu.
Pointing out that the Centre was refusing to hear the voices of the present strength of 39 MPs in Lok Sabha, Mr Stalin said if this numbers were further reduced, it would cause an irreversible gross injustice to the State and said “we are in a situation wherein we have to strongly oppose the proposed delimitation exercise based on population”.
With delimitation set to reshape parliamentary constituencies, Stalin urged for a more balanced approach that ensures fair representation for all states, irrespective of population size.
