COIMBATORE: Intensifying his criticism of the Centre's delimitation exercise, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday called on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to clarify his position on the contentious issue.
Addressing the media in Coimbatore, Chidambaram alleged that Palaniswami shockingly echoes the statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has maintained that the delimitation exercise would not adversely affect Tamil Nadu.
Questioning the urgency behind convening the parliament after a prolonged deep slumber, he alleged that the timing was a planned conspiracy aimed at disrupting election campaigning in key states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
“When the next parliamentary elections are due only in 2019, why this sudden haste?” he asked. He further claimed that the BJP may be advancing the process now in anticipation that a total of 67 MPs from poll-bound states of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal may be unable to attend,” he said.
Reiterating that the exercise could significantly reduce the representation of southern states in parliament and eventually stifle their voices, he noted that their share could decline from the current 24.3% to 20.7%.
Explaining the potential impact on Tamil Nadu, he said the number of constituencies could first rise by 50%, from 39 to 58, before being reduced to 46 after delimitation. “This is nothing but an illusion,” he remarked.
By contrast, he pointed out that in Uttar Pradesh, constituencies could increase from 80 to 120 and further expand to 140, thereby enhancing the State’s political weight.
Referring to political developments in Bihar, he said that Palaniswami's desire to become Chief Minister may not materialise
Even if EPS becomes a Chief Minister, his tenure may not last long. The BJP has a pattern of undermining its allies to strengthen its own position, like in Haryana, Punjab, Odisha and BiharP Chidambaram
He also took a dig at the NDA for avoiding meaningful debates on crucial issues such as rising petrol, diesel, and LPG costs and the impact of the West Asia conflict in the parliament.