Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 22: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a sharp critique against the BJP-led Central government on Saturday, criticizing the proposed delimitation process for Lok Sabha constituencies. Vijayan argued that the process, which he claimed was being carried out without proper consultation, was not driven by any constitutional or democratic principles but by “narrow political interests.”
“Proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies is hanging over our heads… Various reports indicate that the BJP-led Union Government is going ahead with the delimitation process without any consultation. This sudden move is not driven by any Constitutional principle or any democratic imperative. But by narrow political interests,” said Vijayan during a meeting in Chennai.
The Kerala CM warned that if the delimitation process is based purely on population, it would disproportionately affect southern states like Kerala. He explained, “Delimitation, if undertaken after the census, will lead to a large increase in the number of seats for northern states while there will be a significant reduction in southern states in Parliament. This will suit the BJP, as they hold greater influence in the north. If delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, then Kerala and other southern states will suffer as we have been bringing down our population since 1973.”
Vijayan further expressed his concerns that the Union Government’s policies, ranging from fiscal to language to cultural policies, were destabilizing India’s federal system and democratic framework. He warned that if the southern states’ parliamentary representation is reduced, it would further diminish their share of national resources and political influence.
“If our Parliamentary representation is further reduced, while our share of the nation’s wealth continues to decline, we will face an unprecedented situation where both our rightful share of funds and our political voice to demand them will diminish simultaneously,” he stated.
Vijayan emphasized that states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab were uniting in protest against the delimitation. The meeting in Chennai was called at the invitation of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to form a Joint Action Committee for coordinated resistance against the delimitation process.
The Kerala CM concluded by stressing that the Union Government’s actions were undermining India’s federal system and must not be allowed to proceed.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also criticized the delimitation process, calling it “punishment for performing better,” while BRS Working President KT Rama Rao praised Tamil Nadu for leading the protest.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, who chaired the Joint Action Committee meeting, proposed the formation of a legal expert committee to ensure a “fair delimitation” and urged all opposition parties to unite in the fight against the process, which he argued would weaken the political power of southern states.
The meeting, which included leaders from various states like Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, and Odisha, was seen as a strong show of opposition to the central government’s approach on the delimitation issue, building upon the ongoing disputes regarding the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.