Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, along with several key opposition leaders, spearheaded a crucial Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation in Chennai on Saturday. The meeting, attended by top leaders from non-BJP-ruled states, strongly opposed the proposed population-based delimitation process, warning that it would disproportionately impact the political representation of southern states.
Welcoming leaders including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao, Stalin called for a united stand to protect India’s federal structure. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, though absent, extended her support through a letter read during the session.
Delimitation Sparks Concerns of Political Marginalization
Stalin, addressing the gathering, declared, “We do not oppose democratic representation, but any such process must be fair. If representation decreases, it will lead to fights for funds, decisions affecting our people, and threats to our culture and growth. Social justice will be at risk. We must oppose delimitation based purely on population figures.”
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan echoed these concerns, stating, “The BJP-led Union Government is moving forward with the delimitation process without consultation. This is not based on constitutional principles but narrow political interests. The process will significantly reduce the number of seats in southern states while increasing representation in the north, benefiting the BJP.”
Former Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik emphasized that “states that have successfully controlled population should not be punished. A delimitation process based only on population figures will be unfair and will hurt states that have followed national priorities.”
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy: ‘North Will Make Us Secondary Citizens’
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made a strong statement, asserting, “South will not accept population-based delimitation. If this is implemented, the north will make us secondary citizens in our own country.”
The JAC, in its resolution, expressed “deep concern over the lack of transparency and stakeholder consultation in the delimitation exercise.” The resolution called for an end to the current delimitation process and demanded “a fair and inclusive approach that incentivizes states that have effectively controlled population growth, extending the current freeze on parliamentary constituencies for another 25 years.”
BJP Counters, Calls Meeting a ‘Political Drama’
Meanwhile, the BJP staged black flag protests across Tamil Nadu, alleging that the DMK and CM Stalin were using the delimitation issue to distract from corruption allegations in the state. Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai remarked, “Our state has major issues with neighboring states, but Stalin never raises them. Instead, he is organizing this political drama over delimitation, which is not even a real issue.”
