Published Mar 03, 2026 | 3:21 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 03, 2026 | 5:05 PM
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Synopsis: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, MK Stalin, appreciating the High-Level Committee Report on Union-State relations. The letter comes amid the tension between Congress and DMK in Tamil Nadu over seat-sharing.
Amid tensions in Tamil Nadu between the DMK and the Congress regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Assembly polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, MK Stalin, appreciating the High-Level Committee Report on Union-State relations.
“The questions raised in the Report go to the heart of India’s constitutional morality. As you have rightly observed, our Constitution was framed under exceptional historical compulsions. The Constituent Assembly, animated by the anxieties of Partition and integration, consciously crafted a Union with unitary features. Yet, as Dr B.R. Ambedkar reminded the Assembly. India would be a ‘Union of States’, not a unitary state in disguise. Federalism was not an act of administrative convenience but a structural guarantee against concentration of power,” Siddaramaiah said in his letter to Stalin, dated Monday, 2 March.
Siddaramaiah said states must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them. “India’s strength lies in cooperative federalism, constitutional trust, and respect for diversity,” he said.
Even while Siddaramaiah stated that all states, irrespective of political affiliations, should join hands in constructive federal dialogue, his party, the Congress, is reportedly on the verge of breaking its alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu over seat-sharing.
In his letter, Siddaramaiah said federalism is not a political demand but a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. “Over the years, increasing centralisation in fiscal and legislative matters has disturbed the delicate balance envisioned by our Constitution makers,” he said.
“Karnataka, like Tamil Nadu, has been vocal in asserting the legitimate constitutional space of States, whether in matters of language policy, education, public health, fiscal devolution, or legislative autonomy. These are not sectional claims; they are constitutional claims. They arise from a principled commitment to pluralism, diversity, and democratic accountability,” he added.
The Karnataka chief minister said states must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them and that India’s strength lies in cooperative federalism, constitutional trust, and respect for diversity.
I will urge the Union Government to provide an institutional platform — such as a revitalised Inter-State Council — for all states to deliberate and restore balance in our federal structure, he said.
Siddaramaiah said Karnataka stands ready to engage constructively with Tamil Nadu and other like-minded states in advancing an informed national conversation on restoring balance to our Union-State relationship.
Stalin thanked Siddaramaiah for his response to Part I of the report of the High-Level Committee on Union–State Relations constituted by the Tamil Nadu government.
In an X post, Stalin expressed appreciation for Siddaramaiah’s “warm response” and endorsement of the initiative, stating that federal renewal must be a collective effort among States.
“I deeply appreciate your thoughtful endorsement of our initiative and your recognition that federal renewal must be a collective effort,” Stalin wrote.
Referring to Siddaramaiah’s remarks, Stalin highlighted the Karnataka Chief Minister’s observation that “Unity in a diverse republic like India is sustained not through uniformity, but through constitutional trust.”
In Tamil Nadu, DMK and Congress are reportedly unable to reach a consensus regarding seat-sharing ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.
While the Congress is demanding over 40 seats, the DMK is refusing to budge an inch above 25 seats and a Rajya Sabha seat; the two allies are in a deadlock.
It is also reported that a section of Congress leaders recommended Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to move away from the MK Stalin-led DMK and look at other allies, including actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK).
With DMK placing a deadline of 3 March for the Congress to “take it or leave it”, the grand old party has found itself pushed into a corner.
DMK is insistent that it is not a viable option for it to part with any more seats for the Congress in an election where the party’s future and survival depend on winning a majority on its own.
On Tuesday, following the direction of Congress Parliamentary Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Union minister P Chidambaram met Stalin, also the DMK president, regarding seat-sharing.
