Stalin calls all-party meet on March 5 to discuss impact of delimitation

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday called all registered political parties for a meeting to Chennai on March 5 to discuss the impending issue of delimitation of Lok Sabha seats.

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Speaking after the state Cabinet meeting, Stalin warned that Tamil Nadu risked losing eight parliamentary seats if delimitation took place.

“We are ready for a language war and want to highlight that the Lok Sabha constituency redrawing exercise is extremely dangerous. Southern states like Tamil Nadu have excelled in controlling population growth. But if that leads to a reduction in our parliamentary strength — if it suppresses our voice —how can that be justified?” he asked.

The ruling DMK had in its Lok Sabha manifesto pledged status quo on Lok Sabha seats despite the next delimitation exercise, scheduled after the 18th LS poll.

Promising a population and caste survey every five years, the DMK manifesto said, “The successful implementation of Centre’s family planning programme by Tamil Nadu led to a decrease in population, resulting in the reduction of parliamentary constituencies from 41 to 39 during the constituency delimitation in 1971. Based on the amended law in 2002, the Union Government decided to maintain the number of constituencies at the previous level due to the insistence of states and the number of constituencies remains the same ever since. The DMK assures that this status will continue during the upcoming constituency delimitation as well.”

The issue is likely to resonate across other southern states where the BJP remains electorally weak, as these states—despite better population control — are expected to see only a marginal increase in Lok Sabha seats after the next delimitation. Kerala, in particular, is projected to lose seats, dropping from the current 20, while Uttar Pradesh is estimated to see a rise from 80 to 128.

The delimitation exercise which would alter LS seats based on population growth is also bound to change the constitution of the Rajya Sabha.