Chennai, August 12
The DMK on Wednesday backed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam government’s resolution on delimitation, with Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin asserting that Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament must not be reduced under any future redrawing of constituencies.
Speaking during the Assembly debate on the resolution moved by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Udhayanidhi said the DMK had consistently opposed any delimitation exercise that could disadvantage Tamil Nadu and other states that had successfully controlled population growth.
He said former Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin had raised concerns nationally over the implications of a population-based delimitation and had sought to build a broader political consensus on the issue.
Udhayanidhi recalled that the previous DMK government had moved a resolution in the Assembly in February 2024. This was followed by an all-party meeting on March 5, attended by representatives of several political parties, including the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Stalin had also written to Chief Ministers of seven states and leaders of major political parties warning about the possible consequences of delimitation. A Joint Action Committee meeting involving leaders from different states was subsequently organised in Chennai.
Udhayanidhi said concerns remained that the delimitation exercise could be taken up using population figures emerging from the 2027 Census, potentially changing the distribution of Lok Sabha constituencies among states.
He called for extending the existing constitutional arrangement governing delimitation for another 25 years, arguing that states that effectively implemented population-control programmes should not suffer a loss of parliamentary representation.
The DMK also reiterated its support for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures. Udhayanidhi said that if implementation of the quota was linked to delimitation, the exercise should be based on the 1971 population figures.
Concluding his speech, Udhayanidhi announced the DMK’s full support for the Vijay government’s resolution aimed at protecting Tamil Nadu’s existing parliamentary representation.
