Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, while leading the Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting in Chennai on Saturday, called for unity among opposition parties to protest against the delimitation exercise, which he claimed would weaken the political representation of southern states.
During the meeting, Stalin proposed forming a legal expert committee to challenge the population-based delimitation, stressing the need for “fair delimitation.”
The meeting was attended by key political leaders, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma.
Urging leaders to take the matter to the legal front, Stalin said, “I appeal to you all to provide inputs to take this political issue to a legal platform. I propose to form a legal expert committee on the constituency delimitation issue. If we stand united in our protest, we will emerge victorious.”
He further asserted, “Let’s unite and ensure our parliamentary representation does not decrease under any circumstances. We must continue our protest until we achieve fair delimitation.”
Stalin strongly opposed population-based constituency delimitation, stating that it would disproportionately affect states like Tamil Nadu, which have taken effective measures to control population growth.
“Our states are being penalized for successfully managing population control. This could lead to a reduction in our representatives in Parliament, thereby weakening our ability to voice our concerns,” Stalin explained.
He warned that the reduction in political representation could impact governance and various socio-economic sectors, including women’s empowerment, students’ opportunities, and farmers’ support.
“Women will face setbacks in gaining power, students will lose important opportunities, and farmers will struggle without adequate representation. Our culture and progress will be at risk,” he added.
Stalin also emphasized that Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities would be among the worst affected by reduced representation in Parliament.
“Social justice, which we have safeguarded for years, will be compromised. SC and ST communities will bear the brunt of this unfair delimitation process,” he cautioned.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin echoed his father’s sentiments, pointing out that states like Tamil Nadu should be rewarded, not penalized, for effective population control.
“For decades, states here have worked tirelessly to manage population growth. We introduced policies, raised awareness, and reached the population replacement rate much earlier than other states,” he said.
“Yet, instead of being rewarded for our achievements, we are now at risk of losing our political representation,” he added.
Stalin concluded by reiterating that the protest was not against delimitation itself, but against an unfair process that could weaken federalism and diminish political strength.
“This protest is not against delimitation but a demand for fair delimitation that does not undermine our representation and rights,” he affirmed.
The JAC meeting marks a significant political pushback against the proposed delimitation, with opposition leaders uniting to safeguard their parliamentary strength and the federal structure of India.
