CMs' meet will chart next course of action on delimitation, says Stalin ahead of JAC session in Chennai

Chennai: Contending that delimitation solely on the basis of population is a deliberate attempt to “undermine certain states”, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on the issue here on Saturday will just be the beginning of a movement that will shape the country’s future.

In a 3-minute video on the eve of the meeting which will see Chief Ministers of Kerala, Telangana, and Punjab, and deputy chief minister of Karnataka in attendance, Stalin said states that have controlled their population growth efficiently, and contributed significantly to national progress must not be punished by the Union government.

Stalin said the participants of the meeting which includes Pinarayi Vijayan, Revanth Reddy, Bhagwant Mann, and D K Shivakumar will chart the course forward. “Based on the meeting’s outcome, we will take the next steps. Our rightful demand will prevail. Our initiative will protect India,” he said.

The meeting at a luxurious five-star hotel in the city comes three weeks after an all-party meeting convened by Stalin decided to constitute a JAC of CMs and parties that have representation in Parliament from Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Odisha, and West Bengal.

“Except the BJP, every other party stood together as one. We passed a resolution demanding a fair and delimitation process…I personally spoke to all Chief Ministers over the phone,” Stalin said. The Chief Minister’s move is not just about raising the issue of delimitation but sharpening his attack on the BJP with assembly elections in Tamil Nadu just a year away.

The meeting assumes significance since this is the first time that leaders of opposition parties from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will meet after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in which they prevented the BJP from securing a majority on its own. Not just I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituents, but the presence of YSRCP, BJD, and TRS, who had once supported the BJP in Rajya Sabha, in the meeting is significant.

“If Tamil Nadu and other states lose representation due to this delimitation, it will strike at the very foundation of federalism in India. It will erode the essence of democracy itself. Our voices in Parliament will be silenced. Our rights will be compromised. This is nothing short of a deliberate attempt to undermine certain states,” Stalin added.

He also said what started as Tamil Nadu’s initiative has now grown into a national movement, with states across India joining hands to demand fair representation.

“This is a defining moment in our collective journey. This is more than a meeting— it is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country. Together, we will achieve Fair Delimitation,” the Chief Minister added.