Delegations of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) leaders have met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik ahead of the joint action committee (JAC) meeting against the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats. The high-level meetings are part of the attempt to oppose the Union government’s proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies by bringing together the southern states along with Odisha and Punjab.
All seven states may lose constituencies if the Union government’s proposal is carried out. Both Siddaramaiah and Naveen Patnaik have reportedly pledged their support to the DMK. The JAC meeting is scheduled to take place on March 22 in Chennai.
State Minister for Forests K Ponmudy and MP MM Abdulla met Siddaramaiah on March 12 and also handed over a letter from TN Chief Minister MK Stalin. Further, the two CMs are reported to have spoken over a phone call regarding the March 22 meet.
Another delegation of state Public Works EV Velu and Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson met former Andhra Pradesh CM and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) president Jagan Mohan Reddy on March 12, inviting him to the JAC meet. The delegation also met with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) state president Palla Srinivasa Rao.
A third delegation comprising MP Dayanidhi Maran and Industries Minister TRB Rajaa met Naveen Patnaik on March 11.
These invitations come in the wake of the all-party meeting called by the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on March 6. The meeting had been attended by senior opposition party leaders, including former Cabinet Minister D Jayakumar from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss. The DMK’s allies, the Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), were also present alongside actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) and actor Kamal Hassan’s MAIAM.
The leaders, across party lines, agreed to oppose the Union government’s delimitation policy, including the PMK, who are still a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The event was, however, boycotted by Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), the Puthiya Tamilagam and the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
At the all-party meeting, Stalin had urged the Union government to ensure that delimitation is conducted based on the 1971 census, extending its validity for another 30 years. Stalin had earlier described delimitation as a “sword hanging over Tamil Nadu’s neck.”
‘Delimitation’ refers to revising the number of parliamentary seats based on population shifts in state constituencies. Presently, 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.