South Indian Leaders Oppose Delimitation Based on Population – “No Funds, No Voice for Us!”
Chennai, 22 March – (www.deccanlive.com): A crucial political meeting was held in Chennai, where leaders from South Indian states gathered to oppose the central government’s delimitation proposal. The meeting, organized by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, saw the participation of several Chief Ministers and key political leaders.
During the discussion, South Indian leaders analyzed the impact of delimitation and passed a significant resolution. They decided that there should be no constituency reorganization for the next 25 years. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy proposed holding a second anti-delimitation meeting in Telangana, to which Tamil Nadu CM Stalin responded that a decision on this would be made soon.
The meeting was led by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and attended by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and BRS Working President KTR. Representatives from Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Andhra Pradesh’s opposition party YSR Congress were also present. Each leader expressed their strong opposition to delimitation, citing various reasons.
DMK MP Kanimozhi revealed the resolutions passed by the joint committee of South Indian states. She stated that leaders of the affected states would fight against the central government’s decision. She also addressed the absence of YSR Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) at the meeting, noting that Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan had already written a letter to PM Modi opposing delimitation, indicating his support for their cause. She expressed confidence that YSR Congress would join the next meeting, and TMC’s absence was due to unavoidable reasons.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin stated that delimitation is unfair to states that successfully implemented family planning and controlled their population. He clarified that they are not against delimitation itself but want a fair process. If parliamentary seats are reallocated based on population, southern states will lose representation, making it harder to receive funds from the central government. Farmers will suffer, and their culture and development will be at risk. Stalin warned that people in the south could lose their political power and voice in democracy.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the BJP government for moving forward without proper discussions. He called it a politically motivated move designed to benefit the northern states, where the BJP has a strong presence. If delimitation is based on population, northern states will gain more seats in parliament, while southern states will lose representation, favoring BJP’s political influence.
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy said the country is facing a major challenge. He accused the BJP of trying to penalize southern states through delimitation. He emphasized that India is one nation, and while they respect unity, the south will not accept a system based solely on population. He argued that this would politically weaken the region and punish them for their efforts in population control and economic growth. He urged the BJP to stop implementing delimitation unfairly.
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar stated that South India has always followed strict family planning policies, which contributed to its progress. However, delimitation now threatens to reduce their seats, which he sees as a punishment for their success. He firmly stated that they would not allow this to happen. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP of wanting to increase seats in states where they win and reduce them where they lose. He declared strong opposition to such biased delimitation.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Chief Naveen Patnaik from Odisha stated that delimitation based on population is unfair to southern states, which controlled their population through family planning for national interest. He emphasized that delimitation should not be implemented based on population alone. He urged the central government to take action only after discussing the issue with all political parties.
What is the Delimitation Issue?
For the past five decades, India has not conducted a delimitation process, but it is expected to take place after 2026. Delimitation involves redistributing parliamentary seats based on population. This means states with higher populations will get more seats, while those with lower populations will get fewer seats.
According to the 2011 census, the population in northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh has grown significantly. In contrast, southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana have successfully controlled their population. If delimitation happens based on population, northern states will gain more seats in Parliament, while the representation of southern states will decrease. This is why southern states are opposing the central government on this issue.
BJP Criticizes the Delimitation Meeting
The BJP has strongly criticized the DMK-led meeting on delimitation. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar accused the leaders attending the meeting of forming a “gang of thieves.” BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind claimed that the DMK is trying to divide the country. Meanwhile, BJP MP Etela Rajender clarified that the central government has not yet made any decision on delimitation.
