Delimitation: Will Stalin's all-party meet spur northern states to join fight?

While concerns against delimitation have been rising in recent months, they took a concrete political shape on Wednesday (March 5) with the all-party meeting held by the Tamil Nadu government. This, in turn, could take the message to other states to join the debate, say experts.

It was decided at the meeting, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, to take the first step in uniting all the South Indian states on this issue by forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC). The JAC, comprising parliamentary representatives from Tamil Nadu and other South Indian states, will raise awareness and lead protests against delimitation.

Forming the JAC was among the six resolutions passed at the all-party meeting, in which politicians from over 40 parties expressed their concerns on the issue.

Potential impact

According to public policy scholar R Alamu, today's all-party meeting could soon attract the attention of states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, which have also controlled their populations and could thus lose Lok Sabha seats following delimitation.

"If the delimitation exercise is carried out based on population, it would affect southern states. However, population control was also implemented well in a few northern states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. We can expect that the fight against delimitation from southern states will now gain support from northern states other than UP and Bihar (which are expected to gain Lok Sabha seats following delimitation)," she told The Federal.

Pointing out how Tamil Nadu has been at the forefront of issues related to federal rights, Alamu said: "Tamil Nadu and other southern states are highly urbanised compared to northern states. These states also perform better on development indices. But Tamil Nadu leads in fighting on issues related to federal rights, ranging from tax imposition like GST to NEET, NEP, and now delimitation. This also sends a message to other states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh that they too need to join hands with the southern states to establish their federal rights."

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Voice and welfare

Senior leaders from various political parties who participated in the meeting include AIADMK organising secretary and former minister D Jayakumar, Congress state president and MLA Selvaperunthagai, CPI state secretary Mutharasan, CPM state secretary Shanmugham, VCK chief Thirumavalavan, MDMK chief Vaiko, TVK general secretary Bussy N Anand, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, Dravidar Kazhagam leader Veeramani, and MNM president Kamal Haasan.

Opening the meeting, Stalin expressed concern over the looming delimitation exercise set for 2026, which is estimated to reduce the number of Tamil Nadu's parliamentary constituencies from 39 to 31.

This reduction, according to experts, stems from the state's successful implementation of population control measures, which could ironically penalise its representation in Parliament.

"Delimitation would not only diminish Tamil Nadu's voice in national discourse but also compromise its ability to advocate for the welfare of its people," said Stalin.

Unanimous opposition

The core of the debate revolves around how delimitation, based solely on current population figures, would undermine states like Tamil Nadu that have implemented focussed family planning programmes since the 1950s, said Stalin.

The all-party meeting concluded with unanimous opposition to constituency delimitation based solely on population figures. It proposed that the Union government should adhere to the 1971-based constituency allocation principle for 30 years beyond 2026.

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Furthermore, it was proposed that any increase in parliamentary seats should be accompanied by constitutional amendments ensuring proportional representation for Tamil Nadu and other southern states based on the 1971 population ratio.

Call for unity

Highlighting the threat this poses not just to Tamil Nadu but to all of South India, Stalin made a passionate call for unity among political parties and leaders, urging them to stand together against what he described as an "unjust and inequitable delimitation process."

It could destabilise India’s federal structure and dilute the political strength of southern states, he claimed.

DMK ministers said the chief minister's call to action and the resolutions passed at the meeting serve as a testament to Tamil Nadu's determination to protect its rights and representation. Further, it sets the stage for a potential national debate on the principles of federalism, representation, and equality among India's diverse states, they said.

Also Read: Political rivals in TN to come together on March 5 to discuss delimitation

Unfair to South: D Jayakumar

Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said at the meeting that if delimitation is based on population, as previously proposed, it would be unfair to the South.

"The Central government assured that it wouldn’t be, yet it has taken up the process again. Southern states, including Tamil Nadu, have made significant efforts to control population growth, unlike the northern states. Delimitation would be detrimental to southern states," he said.

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said Stalin should make efforts to personally meet the chief ministers of other southern states and unite them in the fight against delimitation. Though the PMK is an alliance partner of the ruling BJP, it chose to attend the meeting to signal its opposition to delimitation.

‘A social cause’

Senior journalist R Ilangovan told The Federal Stalin's initiative to host the meeting and the participation of leaders from various political parties show that the fight against delimitation is seen as a social cause.

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"Participation from all political parties in Tamil Nadu, except BJP and TMC(M), shows that they are united in fighting for equity, federalism, and the future of political representation in India. This meeting should not be seen as a gathering focussed on apprehension about losing political power but as a united and spirited fight for federal rights," he said.

Ilangovan added that since Tamil Nadu BJP had no option but to stay away, and TMC(M) refused to attend, it could backfire against the two parties in the 2026 Assembly election in the state.

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"This meeting is not for political gains but purely to represent the voice of the state. When a political party fails to take part in such a meeting, it affects its image. This is not an election strategy and should not be seen as anti-BJP mobilisation since the meeting included parties like PMK and AIADMK," he said.