New Delhi (India), March 23: BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Praveen Khandelwal has accused opposition leaders of politicizing the issue of delimitation, claiming they are using it as a tool to protect their “political relevance.” In response to concerns raised by leaders, especially from southern states, Khandelwal stressed that the Modi government has supported every state equally, ensuring balanced development across the nation.
“Delimitation is not an issue, but some leaders from the southern states are trying to make an issue out of it because they are losing their identities in politics. In the past 10 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, equal support has been provided to all the states of the country,” Khandelwal said.
This statement comes after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s criticism of the central government’s approach to delimitation. Vijayan had claimed that the process was being driven by “narrow political interests” rather than any constitutional or democratic imperatives.
“Delimitation is being used by Pinarayi Vijayan as a political tool to gain relevance, which is not right,” Khandelwal added, addressing the Kerala CM’s remarks.
The issue of delimitation was raised during a Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai. The meeting brought together leaders from various states to voice their concerns regarding the proposed delimitation process. The JAC, which expressed worries about the lack of transparency from the Union government, unanimously called for greater clarity and demanded that the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census Population be extended for another 25 years.
The committee also emphasized that states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have successfully implemented population control measures, should not be penalized for their efforts.
In a resolution passed at the meeting, the JAC stressed that political parties would bring appropriate Legislative Assembly resolutions in their respective states and would inform citizens about the history and consequences of past delimitation exercises.
The meeting was attended by leaders including Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and others. The next meeting on delimitation will be held in Hyderabad, Telangana, as announced by Stalin.