Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay has convened a consultative meeting of all Members of Parliament from the state on Saturday, August 8, to discuss the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise and its possible implications for Tamil Nadu.
The meeting will be held at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chepauk, Chennai, at 3 p.m. and will be chaired by the Chief Minister. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members representing Tamil Nadu have been invited to participate and present their views.
According to the state government, invitations are being sent to all MPs from Tamil Nadu through Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi. The consultation is aimed at evolving a broad understanding among the state’s representatives in Parliament on the proposed redrawing of constituencies.
The Centre is expected to take steps towards a delimitation exercise, which involves readjusting boundaries and representation of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies based on population and constitutional provisions. The proposed exercise has generated concern in Tamil Nadu over its potential impact on representation in Parliament.
The issue has emerged as an important political subject amid apprehensions that states which have performed better in population control could face a relative reduction in their share of parliamentary seats if population becomes the principal basis for redistribution.
Saturday’s meeting is expected to examine the possible consequences of delimitation for Tamil Nadu and discuss the approach MPs should adopt if the issue comes up in Parliament. The consultation assumes significance amid reports that the Union government could revive legislative moves related to delimitation during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
An earlier attempt to secure sufficient parliamentary support for the measure did not succeed, and political circles are closely watching whether the Centre will make another attempt during the current session.
The Vijay government is seeking to bring Tamil Nadu’s MPs together for a detailed discussion before any further move is made at the national level. The meeting is also expected to provide MPs from different political parties an opportunity to express their positions and discuss whether a common approach can be evolved to protect Tamil Nadu’s interests.
The outcome of the August 8 consultation is likely to shape the state’s political response to any future delimitation proposal taken up by the Centre.
(IANS)
