‘Fair delimitation crucial for state’s rights’: MK Stalin ahead of Joint Action Committee meeting

CHENNAI: Ahead of Saturday’s first Joint Action Committee meeting with various State Chief Ministers and leaders, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said that fair delimitation is crucial, not just for the number of MPs, but for the state’s rights.

“Fair delimitation is the talk of the town right now. Why has the DMK brought this to focus? Because in 2026, delimitation will happen. And if the delimitation exercise is carried out based on population, our representation in Parliament will be severely affected. This is not just about the number of MPs but about our State’s rights. This is why we have convened a meeting of all parties. Except the BJP, every other party stood together as one”, Stalin said in a video posted on X.

A historic day for Indian federalism!

I extend my warmest welcome to the leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal & Punjab who are joining us for the Joint Action Committee meeting on #FairDelimitation.

The All-Party Meeting on March 5 was… pic.twitter.com/Wra2NmccIA

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 21, 2025

The MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has locked horns with the Central government over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the delimitation exercise.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has called for a joint effort from various political parties to raise their voices against Delimitation, calling for a Joint Action Committee meeting on March 22 to be held in Chennai, inviting representatives from various political parties to join against the “blatant assault on federalism.”

Chief Minister Stalin had written to the Chief Ministers of seven states, both from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruling states and otherwise, to join him in the “fight against this unfair exercise.”

Congress leader P Chidambaram also expressed his fear that if delimitation is conducted, Southern states will lose 26 seats in the Lok Sabha, and their voices will not be heard.

“Delimitation is a serious issue. It was frozen in 1971. A census taken after 2026 will lead to delimitation, followed by re-determination of the seats. According to our calculation, if it is redistributed according to the current population of states, and the state’s numbers are changed, our southern states, which have 129 seats, will come down to 103. The five southern states will lose 26 seats, whereas the populous states where population is growing will gain seats, especially UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan”, Chidambaram said. (ANI)