The meeting also decided to form a Joint Action Committee comprising representatives of parties with MPs from Tamil Nadu and other Southern states, who would be formally invited to coordinate efforts against the delimitation process.
Published Mar 05, 2025 | 11:37 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2025 | 12:36 PM
Tamil Nadu government's all-party meeting against delimitation.
Synopsis: The Tamil Nadu government organised an all-party meeting against the delimitation based on the 2026 Census. The parties in the state urged the Union government to ensure constituency delimitation based on the 1971 population figures. It opposed delimitation based on current population figures and said it threatens India’s federal structure and the political representation rights of Tamil Nadu and other Southern states.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday, 5 March, organised an all-party meeting against the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on the 2026 Census stating that it would affect the state’s representation.
During the meeting, Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the delimitation based on population would be a punishment for the Southern states who effectively implemented population control measures. He urged all political parties to rise above party lines and unite in raising their voice against the “unfair proposal”.
A total of 56 parties participated in the meeting, including the AIADMK and all alliance parties of the DMK. Five parties, including the BJP, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Tamil Manila Congress, boycotted the meeting. The meeting emphasised the need for a unified stand to safeguard the state’s political rights and federal structure.
The meeting also passed two resolutions against the delimitation based on the population data of the 2026 Census.
Meanwhile, actor Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) released a statement saying it stands firmly against any attempt to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation and demands a fair, transparent, and balanced approach to any future delimitation process.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss said Stalin should meet the chief ministers of southern states, adding that it was essential to form a unified stance and approach this issue collectively.
After the meeting, the political parties in the state urged the Union government to uphold the commitment made in 2001 by the then-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which stated that constituency delimitation should be based on the 1971 population figures.
They demanded that the principle be extended for another 30 years.
The meeting opposed the parliamentary constituency delimitation based on current population figures and said it threatens India’s federal structure and the political representation rights of Tamil Nadu and other Southern states.
The meeting also decided to form a Joint Action Committee comprising representatives of parties with MPs from Tamil Nadu and other Southern states, who would be formally invited to coordinate efforts against the delimitation process.
In the meeting, it was said that if the total number of parliamentary seats was increased, then the proportion of seats among states should be maintained as per the ratio that existed in both Houses of Parliament based on the 1971 census.
The meeting demanded a Constitutional amendment to ensure a fair increase in the number of seats for Tamil Nadu and other Southern states.
Meanwhile, TVK said that the Union government has not given any clear explanation or assurance to the states regarding how the restructuring would be carried out.
It said that instead of blindly increasing the number of MPs, the focus should be strengthening democratic institutions, ensuring fair representation, and addressing real governance issues.
TVK also demanded the Union government ensure free and fair elections, and that the judiciary, media, and investigative agencies be made free from political pressure. It also demanded fair financial distribution to all states.
“The Election Commission must be independent, with election commissioners appointed through a consensus-based system rather than government selection. The Collegium system for appointing Supreme Court and High Court judges must be respected without government interference. The Chief Justice of India or a retired Supreme Court judge should lead the Delimitation Commission, ensuring impartiality,” the TVK said.
“Agencies like CBI, IT (Income Tax department), and ED (Enforcement Directorate) must function without political influence. Press freedom should be safeguarded to ensure that media functions without fear. The Union government must allocate funds fairly to states without political bias,” it added.
The party also stressed the need to uphold federalism and states’ autonomy in financial and administrative matters.
“When the Constitution was drafted, India was structured as a unitary-biased federation to maintain national unity. However, after 75 years of independence, India has evolved into a mature democracy, and states must be given greater autonomy in financial and administrative matters,” the party said in the press release.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Chairman Thol Thirumavalavan said a discussion was necessary, not only on the representation of southern states in Parliament but also on the tax revenue-sharing mechanism of the Finance Commission.
“The criteria followed by the Finance Commission for distributing tax revenue adversely affect the southern states, leading to financial discrimination. The constituency delimitation process must not be used as a tool to scatter Dalit and minority votes, thereby weakening their political representation,” he said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose and K Nitika Shivani.)
