Published Apr 16, 2026 | 8:16 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 16, 2026 | 8:42 AM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin burning a copy of the delimitation Bill.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin raised a black flag protesting against the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and burned a copy of the draft Bill. Southern leaders fear that fresh delimitation without safeguards could shift political power critically towards more populous northern states.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Thursday, 16 April, raised a black flag protesting against the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and burned a copy of the draft Bill.
Likening the protest to Tamil Nadu’s stand against Hindi imposition, Stalin said, “Back then, the anti-Hindi fire that began in Tamil Nadu scorched Delhi. Only after Delhi yielded did our flames subside! Today, I have ignited another fire by burning a copy of the black law that turns Tamils into refugees in their own land.”
“This fire too will spread across the Dravidian land. It will subdue and expose the arrogance of the BJP,” he added.
Following the chief minister’s protest, the DMK is staging protests across the state — at the corporation, city, town, union, ward, and booth levels — by burning copies of the Bill at 11 am on Thursday.
The DMK has also appealed to the public to hoist black flags at all homes and commercial establishments for the next three days to condemn the Bill.
The Union government has proposed increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 as part of its intention to implement the Women’s Reservation Act from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, with 815 seats proposed to the states and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories.
Southern leaders fear that fresh delimitation without safeguards could shift political power critically towards more populous northern states.
Also Read: Centre proposes Bill to hike Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850, bypasses post-2026 delimitation
On Wednesday, Stalin had called for a black flag protest across the state against the Union government’s move. According to the chief minister, the “unfair” increase in the number of seats will affect the representation of Southern states, especially Tamil Nadu. Stalin has called on all citizens of Tamil Nadu to raise black flags over their homes to protest the Union government’s decision.
Stalin said that if the Union government moves forward with the proposed delimitation, the voices of Tamilians and South Indians as a whole would be suppressed.
“They are trying to increase the number of seats for the North, and trying to bring the people of the South into a situation where our voices would become irrelevant. Is this a punishment for the people of the South for controlling the population? Are you trying to take away our political power since we stood for the good and the development of the country? What could be worse than this?” Stalin questioned.
Similarly, several Opposition leaders across parties have criticised the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha by nearly 50 percent. They accused the BJP-led NDA government of trying to push through a delimitation exercise without consensus, under the guise of women’s reservation.
The bill is expected to be taken up during the special parliamentary session, to be convened between 16 and 18 April.
Kerala and Karnataka Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Siddaramaiah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav all expressed support for 33 per cent women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, and demanded its immediate implementation.
At the same time, they called for a consensual approach before any move to increase the size of the Lok Sabha.
