M K Stalin to lead multi-party delegation to PM on Delimitation; seeks time

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with MPs from various political parties to brief him about the decision taken at the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on the issue of Delimitation.

Sharing a copy of the letter on his X page, Stalin said the voices that emerged from the March 22 deliberations transcend political boundaries, embodying the concerns of citizens from diverse regions who seek fair representation in a parliamentary democracy.

“As this issue holds significant importance to our states and citizens, I kindly request a meeting with you to formally submit the Memorandum on behalf of the Joint Action Committee,” Stalin said in the letter. He wants to lead the delegation to Modi to submit a copy of the resolution passed at the meeting.

The meeting attended by Chief Ministers of Kerala, Telangana, and Punjab -- Pinarayi Vijayan, Revanth Reddy, and Bhagwant Mann, Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, and leaders of other parties, urged the Union Government to extend the freeze on the number and state-wise distribution of Lok Sabha seats for another 25 years beyond 2026.

The meeting was a show of strength against the BJP, with almost all Chief Ministers accusing the Union Government of not being “transparent” and “vocal” about how it intends to carry out the Delimitation exercise as the 25-year-freeze on the seats ends in 2026. Stalin took up the critical issue over which the BJP remains silent just a year before Tamil Nadu goes to polls, which he plans to convert as a battle between the state and Centre.

The resolution passed at the meeting urged that any delimitation exercise to improve the “content and character of democracy” should be carried out transparently with space for political parties, state governments, and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss and contribute to it.

It also noted that the 42nd, 84th and 87th Constitutional Amendments that deal with Delimitation were enacted to protect and incentivise states that have implemented population control measures effectively. “…the goal of national population stabilisation has not yet been achieved, the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies based on 1971 Census Population, should be extended by another 25 years,” the resolution added.