Stalin Demands 30-Yr Status Quo on Lok Sabha Seats

A meeting of political parties in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday unanimously asked the Centre to use the 197 Census as the basis for any delimitation for the next 30 years, ratcheting up tensions on a contentious exercise that has the potential to widen the chasm between India's northern and southern regions.

- KA Shaji

The meeting, presided over by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin but boycotted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, was attended by members of 35 parties, including the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Congress.

After the meeting, Stalin also proposed a joint action committee (JAC) comprising parliamentarians and representatives from all southern states to create awareness among people and prevent seat reductions during delimitation.

"To encourage family planning by all the states, the then PM in 2000 gave assurance that parliament constituency delimitation would be drafted based on the 1971 population census.

Similarly, PM Modi should give assurance that the same draft would be followed from 2026 to the next 30 years," said the resolution.

"This all-party meeting requests the Union government to make the required changes in the Constitution if at all present MP numbers are made to increase in Parliament, that should be done similar to the 1971 Census percentage to all southern states in both Houses," the resolution added.

In addition to the leaders and ministers of the state's ruling DMK, representatives of the AIADMK, Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Indian Union Muslim League were part of the discussions.

The BJP and its regional alliance partner, the Tamil Manila Congress, boycotted the meeting, along with the Tamil nationalist outfit Naam Tamilar Katchi.

BJP state president K Annamalai termed the meeting as the outcome of "prolonged hallucination" suffered by Stalin.