Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday made an unexpected appeal to Tamil Nadu’s couples, urging them to “give birth to a child immediately” in response to the Centre’s proposed constituency delimitation, which he fears could reduce the state’s political representation in Parliament.
Speaking at a party worker’s son’s wedding, Stalin explained that the number of MPs from each state is tied directly to population, and with the looming delimitation exercise, states with higher populations are set to gain more seats. “We used to advise couples not to rush into having children — but now, given the situation, I won’t say that anymore. Have children immediately because more population means more MPs,” Stalin said.
Tamil Nadu currently has 39 Lok Sabha seats, and Stalin stressed that increasing this number would strengthen the state’s fight for its rights. He also called for an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of delimitation.
The context behind Stalin’s remarks stems from the anticipated parliamentary seat redistribution, which could disproportionately benefit northern states with higher population growth rates. Southern states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully implemented family planning initiatives, risk having their representation marginalized.
Stalin’s son and Tamil Nadu’s Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin echoed his father’s concerns, rejecting the Centre’s New Education Policy (NEP), the three-language formula, and the proposed delimitation process. He accused the central government of trying to “impose Hindi sideways” through the NEP and warned that Tamil Nadu would resist any attempts at linguistic or political imposition.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, however, assured southern states that they would not be disadvantaged by the delimitation process. Despite this, Stalin and other southern leaders like Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah continue to strongly criticize the plan, arguing that representation based solely on population would unfairly benefit northern states.
Stalin has called on the people of Tamil Nadu to “rise” in defense of the state’s rights, vowing that the government will never compromise on the welfare and future of its citizens. “Tamil Nadu will resist! Tamil Nadu will prevail,” he declared.
