LIVE: All-party meeting on delimitation calls for status quo on no. of LS seats for next 30 years

Amid the ongoing language row, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has upped the ante on another crucial federal issue — Lok Sabha delimitation.

Stalin on Wednesday (March 5) proposed a Joint Action Committee comprising MPs and party representatives from all the southern states at an all-party meeting on the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats in Chennai.

Moving a resolution, Stalin said that in the event of an increase in the number of seats in Parliament, the 1971 Census should be the basis for it. Also, the 1971 Census should be the basis for delimitation of Lok Sabha seats for 30 years from 2026, he asserted.

Resolution expected to be passed

The all-party meeting is expected to pass a resolution on the issue of delimitation, based on the apprehension that Tamil Nadu might lose eight Parliament seats, as the state has successfully implemented the family planning programme that led to population control.

Principal opposition party AIADMK, the Congress and Left parties, and actor-politician Vijay’s TVK were the close to 40 parties that attended the meeting, which was boycotted by the BJP, the Tamil nationalist Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and former Union minister GK Vasan’s Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar).

BJP’s denial

The ruling DMK has been staunchly opposing the delimitation exercise, with party president and chief minister Stalin claiming it will lead to reduced LS seats in Tamil Nadu. He has wondered whether the state was being punished for effective implementation of population control measures over the years.

BJP state president K Annamalai has alleged that Stalin is trying to “shift the narrative” with the “imaginary fear” of delimitation as people of the state have rejected his argument on the three-language policy. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Stalin of spreading “misinformation”, assuring that no Southern state would lose a “single Parliamentary seat” due to delimitation.

Also Read:

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