Chennai (Tamil Nadu), March 22: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday passed a resolution expressing concern over the “lack of transparency and clarity” from the Union government regarding the delimitation process. The committee unanimously demanded that the Union government ensure transparency in any delimitation exercise and extend the freeze on parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census Population for an additional 25 years.
The resolution, passed by the JAC, stressed the need for any delimitation process to be carried out transparently, allowing political parties from all states, state governments, and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss, and contribute. It also pointed out that the legislative intent behind the 42nd, 84th, and 87th Constitutional amendments was to incentivize states that have effectively implemented population control measures, and that the goal of national population stabilization has not yet been achieved.
“Given this context, the freeze on parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 Census Population should be extended for another 25 years,” the resolution added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who leads the JAC, urged the central government not to penalize states that have effectively implemented population control programs. He emphasized that states with reduced population shares due to successful population control should not face disadvantages in any delimitation process. The JAC also called on the Union government to enact constitutional amendments to ensure this.
Furthermore, the resolution stated that political parties in different states would bring appropriate legislative assembly resolutions regarding the delimitation issue and communicate them to the Union Government. The JAC will also launch a coordinated public opinion mobilization strategy to educate citizens about the history of past delimitation exercises and the potential consequences of proposed changes.
The resolution also outlined that Members of Parliament (MPs) would counter any attempts by the Union Government to undertake a delimitation exercise contrary to these principles. A Core Committee of MPs from the represented states will coordinate parliamentary strategies to oppose any such move, and a joint representation will be submitted to the Prime Minister during the ongoing Parliamentary session.
The first JAC meeting, convened by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, took place in Chennai and was attended by leaders such as Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, among others.
The next JAC meeting on the delimitation issue will be held in Hyderabad, Telangana.