Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 12: Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin voiced concerns about the state’s declining birth rate and its potential impact on parliamentary seat allocation, urging newlyweds to focus on having children soon.
Speaking at a marriage function on Wednesday, Udhayanidhi extended his best wishes to the newlyweds before addressing the issue at hand. “We will win 200-plus seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2026 elections. I request the couples who are getting married to be concerned about childbirth as soon as possible,” he said. He went on to explain that Tamil Nadu, being the first state to implement birth control, now faces challenges related to the declining birth rate. “If delimitation comes, we will lose eight parliamentary constituencies, while northern states will gain more than 100 seats,” he warned.
The Minister further stressed the importance of preserving Tamil identity, urging parents to “keep Tamil names for their children.”
His comments come amidst ongoing discussions regarding the potential impact of delimitation on the southern states, with political leaders raising concerns over possible imbalances in representation. Delimitation, which could lead to a redistribution of parliamentary seats based on population, is a key issue for the state, which fears losing seats as a result of lower population growth compared to northern states.
In parallel, Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K Ponmudi and Rajya Sabha MP MM Abdulla met Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru to discuss the necessary actions regarding the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies. The DMK Minister also invited Shivakumar to attend a meeting of South Indian state representatives, scheduled to take place in Chennai on March 22, under the auspices of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.
Earlier, on March 3, CM Stalin had urged couples in the state to “give birth to a child immediately” to ensure Tamil Nadu’s fair representation in Parliament, in light of the Centre’s proposed delimitation plan. Stalin argued that the number of MPs would be based on population, which could disadvantage southern states due to their lower population growth. He remarked that while family planning had been successfully promoted in the state, the current situation calls for a change in perspective regarding childbirth.
“We have achieved success by focusing on family planning. Now, I won’t say don’t rush to give birth to a child, give birth to a child immediately,” Stalin said, adding that with a higher population, Tamil Nadu could fight for more seats and secure its representation in Parliament.