Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, on Tuesday called for an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the issue of delimitation, which threatens to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament.
Speaking to the media after chairing a state Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Stalin said that all registered political parties —around 40 in total — would be invited to the discussion.
“Tamil Nadu is now being forced into a major struggle for its rights. We have decided to invite all 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission of India. Letters will be sent to all parties to discuss the delimitation issue,” CM Stalin stated.
He emphasised that Tamil Nadu has been a pioneer in all development indices and would be severely impacted by delimitation.
Currently, Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. CM Stalin warned that based on population data, the state could lose up to eight seats, reducing its representation to just 31 MPs.
Even if the total number of MPs across the country is increased, the proportional delimitation process would still leave Tamil Nadu at a disadvantage, he argued.
“If delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, states with larger populations will gain more representation. As a result, Tamil Nadu’s voice in Parliament will be weakened,” he said.
CM Stalin stressed that the issue is not just about numbers but about the fundamental rights of the state.
“As a first step, we are organising this meeting to bring together all political parties and leaders of Tamil Nadu to discuss this crucial matter. I urge all political parties to set aside their differences, attend the meeting, and express their views,” he added.
Describing delimitation as the proverbial ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over Southern states — especially those that have successfully implemented population control measures — CM Stalin warned that this process could unfairly penalise progressive states like Tamil Nadu.
He had previously remarked that delimitation might push people to consider having “16 children”— a reference to a Tamil saying about 16 kinds of wealth.
He pointed out that because Tamil Nadu has successfully adopted family planning policies, the state now faces the consequence of losing parliamentary representation due to the delimitation process.
Additionally, CM Stalin urged newlyweds to give their children proper Tamil names — an apparent reference to the ongoing language controversy, which has been in the spotlight following the BJP’s push for a three-language policy through a door-to-door campaign.
(IANS)
