Delimitation row: Stalin writes to 7 CMs, 29 parties; urges leaders to join Joint Action Committee

Chennai: Taking the state’s fight against delimitation to the next level, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday wrote to chief ministers of seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, and 29 political parties asking them to be part of a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to come out with solutions to preserve their current representation in Parliament in percentage terms.

Stalin also proposed the first meeting of the JAC here on March 22 to chart a collective course forward with regard to delimitation inviting leaders of 29 political parties, including the BJP, in the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, and Odisha.

The chief minister, who accused the Union government of providing neither clarity nor any concrete commitment to address the concerns of the states, contended that the current situation demands leadership and collaboration, rising above political differences and standing up for “our collective good.”

Stalin’s letter to CMs of the seven states comes two days after he chaired an all-party meeting here on March 5. He also said it was now certain that delimitation will take place and that the foremost question is whether the exercise will honour the contributions of states that have advanced national priorities like population control.

“Post 2026, the situation may become drastically skewed if the exercise is conducted as per the next census population. Those states which controlled their population and achieved superior governance indicators will face unjust punishment, reduced representation in the very forum where national policies are determined,” he told the leaders.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s attempt comes a year before his party DMK faces crucial assembly elections in the state and at a time when his attacks against the BJP are getting sharper by the day.

Maintaining that Tamil Nadu was not against delimitation, Staling said but was only opposed to the exercise being used as a “weapon” against states that fulfilled their national duties, thereby punishing progress.”

Once the delimitation is implemented, Stalin said, the democratic imbalance that would come with it could persist for decades, leaving the states with diminished capacity to advocate our people's interests, secure rightful resources and influence critical national decisions.

Quoting reports, Stalin said the delimitation exercise is being considered based on population, with two potential approaches – redistributing the existing 543 seats among the states, and increasing the total number of seats beyond 800.

“In both scenarios, all the states that have successfully implemented population control measures stand to lose significantly if the exercise is based on post 2026 population,” he said, adding that states should not be penalized for effectively controlling population growth and upholding national development goals.

The chief minister also took a dig at the Union government saying its representatives have vaguely stated that delimitation would follow a "pro-rata" basis, without explaining the base used for such pro-rata calculation as well as raising an empty rhetoric than no state will face a decrease in its seats.

“When the very foundation of our democracy is at stake, can we accept such vague assurances? When our States' futures hang in the balance, do we not deserve transparent dialogue?” he asked.