Chennai, Mar 22 (PTI) In the first Joint Action Committee meeting of states hosted by Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK over the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary seats by the Centre, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday made it clear that the fight is likely to be taken forward through the legal route also.
Stalin warned that if the delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies is carried out based on the upcoming census, the voices of several states will be overlooked, much like the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where concerns have been ignored.
The meeting witnessed the participation of 14 leaders from at least five states and they deliberated on the ‘threat’ posed by the Lok Sabha seats delimitation exercise to states with high economic growth and literacy.
The Chief Ministers of Kerala, Telangana, and Punjab–Pinarayi Vijayan, Revanth Reddy and Bhagwant Singh Mann– were among the leaders who took part in the meeting. Former chief ministers Jagan Mohan Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) and Naveen Patnaik (Odisha) also attended the meet.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats was hanging like the “sword of Damocles,” and alleged the BJP government was going ahead on the issue without any consultation.
He said “This sudden move is not driven by Constitutional principles or democratic imperatives,” but by narrow political interests.
Delimitation, if done after Census will lead to an increase in seats for northern states, a reduction for southern states. Such a cut in seats for the south and, an increase for the north will suit the BJP as it holds greater influence in the north.
Addressing the meeting in Chennai, CM Stalin, favoured setting up an expert panel to draw up the political and legal action plan. He proposed christening the panel as ‘Joint Action Committee for fair delimitation’ and sought ideas to initiate legal action, by taking forward political fight.
Stalin stressed that delimitation based on the current population figures cannot be accepted. “Every state here has made significant progress through population control, and this move will only punish such states. By reducing the number of representatives, our voices will be stifled. For two years, Manipur has been in turmoil, but their pleas for justice have been ignored because they lack the political strength to garner national attention,” he said.
“A reduction in parliamentary seats or representation will inevitably lead to a decrease in our political strength. It is not merely about numbers—it’s about our power, our rights, and the future interests of our people,” he added.
Stalin further argued that states which have successfully implemented population control will face even more difficulty in securing the funds they rightfully deserve.
“Laws will be enacted without our consent, and decisions affecting our people will be made by those who do not understand our needs. Women will face setbacks in achieving their rightful share of power, students will lose crucial opportunities, farmers will be left unsupported, and our culture, identity, and progress will be severely threatened,” he said.
Stalin also warned that the social justice the country has cherished and protected for years would be undermined, with particular negative consequences for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. “If we allow the reduction of constituencies or representation, we risk becoming disempowered citizens in our own country,” he cautioned.
He emphasised that the protest is not against delimitation itself, but rather for a fair delimitation process. Stalin also accused the BJP of using the delimitation plan to advance their “ulterior motives.”
He urged all states present at the meeting to unite on this issue. “I request everyone to share their valuable suggestions for the resolutions that will be discussed and passed during this Joint Action Committee meeting,” he said.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP, which staged a black flag protest, slammed Stalin for not convening similar meetings on the Cauvery and Mullaiperiar water-sharing disputes with Karnataka and Kerala, respectively.
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan described the meeting as “corruption hiding meeting” by the respective leaders.
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, “at any cost, we cannot let down our country and our seats to be reduced.” He claimed South India had always upheld the census regulations and family planning policies, making it a progressive region.
“Economically and in terms of literacy, we have consistently led the way. We have always protected the national interest, not just our own,” he said upon his arrival here.
BJP national spokesperson C R Kesavan said on the meeting that the DMK was staging the delimitation drama “as a divisionary tactic to deflect public attention away from DMK’s corrupt, failed, disastrous misrule.”
“DMK’s divisive politics of fear-mongering, attempting to mislead and misinform people will badly boomerang back on the DMK. Rahul Gandhi and Congress, with their mutually conflicting and contradicting stand on delimitation, are indulging in a very pathetic politics of opportunism which is utterly condemnable,” Kesavan said.
Former Telangana Governor and senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said the black flag protest was to safeguard the interests of people of Tamil Nadu. She asked Stalin if he held any meetings to solve the Cauvery problem and Mullaperiyar dam issue with the Karnataka and Kerala leaders.
“So, delimitation has not been announced, and not a single word has been uttered by the central government…Home Minister Amit Shah came to Coimbatore. He had clarified that Tamil Nadu will not be affected. The Home Minister has clarified it, so on what basis are you conducting this meeting,” she asked the ruling DMK chief.
This meeting was being held “to hide the corruption charges, to divide the people of the country.”
“The concerned CMs who are attending the meeting are doing so to hide the misgoverance in the concerned states. There are so many corruption charges in Telangana, Kerala. Their own people will be against their CMs attending this event,” she claimed while speaking to PTI Videos.
“Instead of calling this a delimitation meeting, it can be called corruption hiding meeting,” she added.
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab are the seven states the DMK has reached out to for the meeting.
