Leaders across political parties in Tamil Nadu attended Chief Minister MK Stalin’s all-party meeting on Wednesday, March 5 in a show of unity against the Union government’s proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha seats. The meeting was attended by senior Opposition party leaders, including former Cabinet Minister D Jayakumar from the AIADMK and PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss. The ruling DMK’s allies, the Congress and the VCK, were also present.
‘Delimitation’ refers to revising the number of parliamentary seats based on population shifts in state constituencies. Currently, Lok Sabha constituencies are allocated based on the 1971 census, as the seat revision has been frozen for over 50 years. During the Emergency, a constitutional amendment delayed this revision until after the 2001 census. In 2001, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government extended the freeze until 2026.
Speaking at the meeting, Jayakumar said, “Southern states like Tamil Nadu have controlled population growth through sustained efforts, unlike northern states, which have seen an increase in population. If delimitation proceeds, it will punish states that have worked to control their population. It should only be accepted if Tamil Nadu’s current 39 constituencies remain unchanged.”
The AIADMK’s participation is also seen as a signal that the party is sticking to its stance of maintaining a distance from the BJP.
Adding to this, Anbumani stated, “For the PMK, such a meeting is both necessary and urgent. Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that no southern state would lose a constituency, but he did not clarify how many seats states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar would gain. Stalin must collaborate with other south Indian chief ministers to challenge this legally.”
The PMK, part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), contested 10 constituencies in the 2024 general elections.
Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan, who was also present at the meeting, remarked, “We must note who is discussing delimitation, when, and why. The Union government must not interfere with state rights, must not allocate funds selectively based on upcoming elections or withhold Tamil Nadu’s rightful dues, or ignore disaster relief requests, impose Hindi through the three-language policy, or threaten states with fund cuts for non-compliance. Blocking delimitation will protect democracy, alliance politics, and India’s diversity.”
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai warned, “The Union government is putting Tamil Nadu in grave danger. While the Home Minister assured that the number of Tamil Nadu’s constituencies will not decrease, the BJP has not guaranteed that Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or other northern states won’t see an increase.”
Reaffirming the VCK’s support, party president Thol Thirumavalavan said, “The US follows representative democracy but has not altered its 50 states’ representation in the past 100 years. The CM’s proposal for a joint action committee of MLAs from southern states is a welcome move.”
According to reports, representatives from 58 political parties in Tamil Nadu attended the meeting. However, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), BJP, Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar), and Puthiya Tamizhagam boycotted the event.
Addressing the gathering, Stalin urged the Union government to ensure that delimitation is conducted based on the 1971 census, extending its validity for another 30 years.
Before calling the all-party meeting, Stalin had described delimitation on February 25 as a “sword hanging over Tamil Nadu’s neck.”