Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 22: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin led a Joint Action Committee meeting on Saturday, urging opposition parties to unite against the proposed delimitation exercise, which he believes will weaken the political influence of southern states. Stalin has expressed strong opposition to the population-based constituency delimitation, alleging that it will disproportionately affect states like Tamil Nadu that have made significant strides in controlling their population growth.
During the meeting, Stalin proposed forming a legal expert committee to address the delimitation issue, advocating for a “fair delimitation” process. He appealed to leaders to present their concerns in a legal framework, emphasizing that only a united political stand could ensure success in opposing the current proposal.
Stalin said, “I appeal to you all to give inputs to take this political thing in a legal way. I propose to form a legal expert committee on this constituency delimitation issue. If we all unitedly protest, only can get us victory.”
He highlighted that Tamil Nadu and other states that have made efforts to control population growth would be unfairly penalized under the population-based delimitation plan, leading to a reduction in political representation and, consequently, political strength. Stalin argued that such a change would undermine the voices of states with low population growth and could negatively impact various sectors, such as women’s empowerment, student opportunities, and farmers’ support.
“The loss of parliamentary representation would lead to a decrease in our strength to express our views,” he said. “This not only impacts numbers but also our rights, power, and future.”
Stalin further cautioned that marginalized communities, particularly SC and ST populations, would be adversely affected by reduced representation, undermining social justice safeguards. He also warned that the nation’s attention to important issues, like the unrest in Manipur, could be diminished without adequate political representation.
The Chief Minister concluded by reaffirming that the opposition was not against the idea of delimitation itself but was advocating for a fair and just process. “This protest is not against delimitation but to urge for fair delimitation,” he stressed.
The meeting was attended by a variety of political leaders, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, among others.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that Tamil Nadu’s early achievement of the population replacement rate should be recognized, not penalized. He expressed concern that, instead of being rewarded for its responsible population management, Tamil Nadu risks losing political representation.
“For decades, states present here have made significant efforts to control and manage population growth. We introduced policies, raised awareness, and achieved what the nation aimed for – stable population growth,” Udhayanidhi said, highlighting that Tamil Nadu reached the population replacement rate ahead of many other states but now faces the risk of losing political clout as a result.