Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Leaders from various opposition parties have started arriving in Chennai for the first Joint Action Committee meeting on delimitation. The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, aims to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, citing the issue as an “attack on federalism.”
The meeting, convened by CM MK Stalin, includes Chief Ministers and political leaders from multiple states to discuss concerns over the delimitation exercise. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reached Chennai on Saturday to represent the Karnataka government in the discussions.
Visuals from the venue show posters and banners highlighting the significance of the meeting. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao arrived in Chennai on Friday night. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also joined the discussions, alongside Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma.
Call for Joint Action Against Delimitation
CM Stalin has urged political parties to unite against delimitation, calling it a “blatant assault on federalism.” He had written to Chief Ministers of seven states, including those from both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition parties, urging them to oppose what he describes as an unfair exercise.
The Tamil Nadu government has clashed with the Centre over multiple issues, including the three-language policy in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the delimitation process.
DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai accused the BJP of trying to dismiss the concerns over delimitation.
“The BJP just wants to dismiss the delimitation issue as though it’s a non-issue. We have been accusing the BJP of being a Hindi majoritarian party. This is a chance for them to show they stand for the entire country. Freeze this issue for 30 years because the population in the North Indian states has not come down, while the South Indian states have done that. We don’t expect rewards, we expect equal treatment.”
CM Stalin emphasized the importance of fair delimitation, stating that it is not just about the number of MPs but about protecting the state’s rights.
“Fair delimitation is the talk of the town right now. Why has the DMK brought this to focus? Because in 2026, delimitation will happen. And if the delimitation exercise is carried out based on population, our representation in Parliament will be severely affected. This is not just about the number of MPs but about our State’s rights. This is why we have convened a meeting of all parties. Except the BJP, every other party stood together as one,” Stalin said in a video posted on X.
BJP’s Response
BJP leaders have dismissed the opposition’s concerns, accusing the DMK of politicizing the issue ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya stated,
“The drama being enacted by the DMK, whether on the issue of delimitation or imposition of Hindi, should be seen through the prism of the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. It is being done to divert the attention of the people of Tamil Nadu from the real issues of lack of development and rampant corruption under the DMK rule.”
Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K. Annamalai also criticized the ongoing political discourse around delimitation, calling it a “non-issue.”
“Like One Nation One Election, we are talking to the people now. A committee has submitted a report before the Parliament, and we all know the way forward,” he told the media.
The BJP had earlier boycotted an all-party meeting called by CM Stalin to discuss the impact of the proposed delimitation on Tamil Nadu.