Chennai: Arguing that the proposed delimitation exercise based on population threatens federalism and fair political representation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in the Joint Action Committee meeting held in Chennai, said that they were not against delimitation, but demanded that it should not be unfair to states that have controlled their population.
The meeting united several opposition party leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in an effort to bring together a united challenge to the delimitation exercise in its current form.
Southern states have expressed concerns that delimitation in its current form would reduce their representation in the Lok Sabha. The process is due in 2026 when the current embargo ends.
At the First #JointActionCommittee Meeting, key resolutions were adopted demanding transparent delimitation, protection for States that controlled population, and constitutional amendments to ensure #FairDelimitation.
The next #JAC meeting will be held in Hyderabad. pic.twitter.com/xXuo701hMu
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 22, 2025
Representatives from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party in Kerala, Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi from Telangana, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, the Shiromani Akali Dal and Biju Janata Dal were also present at the meeting.
Although invitations were also extended to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh, both parties skipped the meeting.
YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise. He called on the PM to intervene to allay the concerns of the southern states.
TMC, on the other hand, felt that the duplicate voter ID number issue was more important at present as it can have an impact on the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
After the meeting, DMK deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi told the reporters that the two parties did not boycott the meeting but were not able to attend due to various issues.
“It’s not that they have boycotted the meeting organised by DMK. They stand with us on this issue, and they have even spoken to our Chief Minister over the phone. We believe that their party representatives would attend the next meetings of the Joint Action Committee,” she said.
At the meeting, Kerala CM Pinarayi said it was a “rushed move by the Centre” that demanded resistance, while Telangana’s Revanth Reddy questioned the states were being punished “for following national policies.”
Punjab CM Mann said that a skewed parliament would silence the states that are united against the process.
The committee accepted Stalin’s proposal to change its name to Fair Delimitation Joint Action Committee. While Reddy said a second meeting should be held in Hyderabad, Mann proposed that the subsequent meetings be held in Punjab.
Furthermore, the committee resolved to form an expert panel, comprising of all the present parties, to fight the delimitation exercise in the Parliament. They also passed a resolution calling for the parliamentary constituencies based on the 1971 population census to be extended by another 25 years.
Watch CutTheClutter: Why delimitation hangs like a ‘sword of Damocles’ & not just over southern states
‘BJP undermines state rights’
At the meeting, Stalin recalled the Prime Minister’s speech in 2023 during a campaign in Telangana and said that he had acknowledged at the time that the number of constituencies would decrease in south India after the delimitation.
“The BJP has always been a party that undermines states and state rights. They intend to use the delimitation process to further their agenda. No State should allow this,” he said in his appeal.
“Recognising this threat, Tamil Nadu has acted with unprecedented unity and I urge all states to show similar unity.”
In 2023, PM Modi said, “The Congress party is advocating for a caste-based census and representation based on population. Next, constituency delimitation will take place. If Lok Sabha constituencies are redefined based on population, as the Congress suggests, southern states will lose 100 seats. Will the people of South India accept this?”
Referring to the violence in Manipur, Stalin also said that the people of the strife-torn state were being ignored because they lacked the political strength to draw the nation’s attention.
Stalin further said, “We must view the reduction in the number of parliamentary constituencies or our representation as a direct blow to our political strength. This is not just about numbers; it is about our power, our rights, and the future well-being of our people.”
Adding that the reduced representation will force states to struggle to secure the necessary funds, he said, “Laws will be drafted without our consent. Decisions affecting our people will be made by those who do not understand us.”
Pinarayi said that federalism was not a gift handed down from Delhi, but the right of the states, hard-earned through the contributions to the nation.
“In Kerala, we have implemented population control effectively since the 1970s, aligning with national goals. But now, the Centre seems intent on punishing us for it. I call this a ‘rushed move by the Centre,’ driven not by constitutional duty but by narrow political interests,” he said.
Assuring that it stood with Tamil Nadu and all other states resisting the alleged unfair delimitation process, Pinarayi questioned the urgency for carrying out the delimitation process when the census had not been conducted until now.
“Without consultation, without clarity, this process risks slashing our representation while rewarding those who didn’t prioritise progress. If our share in Parliament shrinks further, and our access to national resources dwindles, we will face an unprecedented crisis,” Pinarayi said.
Revanth said it was a “plot” against southern states.
“Why punish us for following national policies? Why should success mean fewer seats while others gain for doing nothing? Telangana’s story is also like Tamil Nadu and Kerala—We have followed national population policies since 1976. But now, we are told our representation might shrink,” he said, adding he said that it was not just about numbers but about their voice in Delhi.
“We cannot let this happen quietly. I stand with Tamil Nadu to demand a process that respects our efforts. Together we will fight for fairness,” he said.
Odisha’s former chief minister Naveen Patnaik who was not able to participate in the meeting in person addressed the meeting virtually. Calling the meeting an important step towards ensuring democratic representation and state rights, he said that Odisha stands with Tamil Nadu and others to demand a process that does not penalise progress but upholds equity across the country.
‘Core committee to submit representation in Parliament’
Among the other resolutions passed by the committee, it demanded that the delimitation exercise be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all states, state governments, and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss, and contribute.
After the meeting, while addressing the media, Kanimozhi said that a resolution was also passed to form a core committee.
The sub-committee of the JAC consisting of MPs from the represented states, she said, would coordinate the parliamentary strategies to counter any attempts by the Union government to undertake any delimitation exercise contrary to the principles of federalism.
“The core committee of MPs shall submit a Joint Representation to the Prime Minister during the ongoing parliamentary session,” Kanimozhi added.
The JAC also resolved to pass appropriate resolutions in their respective state legislative assemblies on the issue and communicate them to the Union government.
Kanimozhi also said that the JAC has resolved to make the necessary efforts to disseminate information on the history and context of past delimitation among the citizens of their respective states through a coordinated public opinion mobilisation strategy.
Referring to the resolution passed in the meeting, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said that the party will hold a mega public meeting in Telangana demanding a fair delimitation process.
“Discriminating southern states is nothing new, but now it has reached a new level like where they give bullet trains to the north and impose Hindi on the southern states,” he added.
Rama Rao suggested increasing only the number of MLA seats and freezing the number of seats for MPs based on the 1971 census.
“If they want to do the delimitation, let them carry out with the current proportion of representation or let them freeze the MPs based on the 1971 census and increase the MLAs representation within the State.”
He also asked why the states were not being rewarded according to their contributions.
“If south India has contributed 36 percent of GDP, why not give 36 percent voice in Parliament? Why don’t they reward the states that have performed well to build the nation?”
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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