Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday moved a resolution in the state Assembly opposing the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, warning that any change in the allocation of parliamentary seats could affect the political representation of southern states.
The resolution calls for the Lok Sabha’s existing strength of 543 seats to remain unchanged and seeks the implementation of 33% reservation for women from the 2029 general elections itself, without waiting for the delimitation process to conclude.
Vijay argued that Tamil Nadu and other southern states should not face a reduction in their political representation because they successfully implemented population-control measures over the decades.
Vijay pushes for women’s quota from 2029
Speaking in the Assembly, Vijay said women’s reservation should be introduced using the existing 543 constituencies.”The 33% reservation for women should be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections itself, based on the existing 543 constituencies. The 33% reservation for women should not be delayed any further.”
He further said women’s reservation should be viewed as a matter of social justice rather than a concession.”In Tamil Nadu, more women have voted than men. Providing reservation for women is not a concession; it is a matter of social justice.”
Why Tamil Nadu is opposing delimitation
The resolution argues that southern states could lose political influence if Lok Sabha constituencies are redistributed primarily on the basis of population.
Tamil Nadu’s government has maintained that states that successfully controlled population growth should not be penalised by losing parliamentary representation.
The resolution points out that constituency delimitation has not been carried out for nearly five decades and raises concerns over using population figures in a way that could alter the existing balance between states.
It also proposes increasing the combined strength of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies through a constitutional amendment, with the resolution referring to an expansion from 550 to 850 members.
Four major demands before Centre
Tamil Nadu’s resolution places several demands before the Union government:
- Keep the Lok Sabha strength at 543 seats.
- Preserve the existing proportional representation of states.
- Maintain the existing population-to-state representation ratio.
- Implement 33% women’s reservation in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections using the existing constituencies.
The state government has also argued that women’s reservation should not be tied to the completion of delimitation.
Southern states’ representation at centre of row
The political dispute comes amid growing concern in southern states over the possible consequences of a population-based delimitation exercise.
Tamil Nadu’s resolution says the Union government must ensure that states that invested in population control, infrastructure and welfare programmes are not disadvantaged in Parliament.”It is the duty of the Union Government to ensure that southern states, which have implemented population control, built good infrastructure, and are implementing welfare schemes for the people by controlling population growth, are not affected in any way by constituency delimitation,” the resolution said.
The issue is expected to remain politically sensitive as parties debate how parliamentary representation should be recalculated while ensuring that women’s reservation is implemented without further delay.
