CHENNAI: Seeking to force its main rival, DMK, to take a stand on the contentious delimitation exercise, the TVK-led government has decided to sponsor a special resolution against the move in the State Assembly on Monday.
While the decision taken during the meeting of MPs in Chennai is projected as an effort to protect the State's Lok Sabha representation, and the rights of Tamil Nadu and other southern States, the strategy behind the move is not lost on any, as it would force the principal opposition party to make its position clear on delimitation, an issue that the DMK had taken up as one of its key issues ahead of the Assembly polls, only to mellow down after losing power - and allies.
The meeting chaired by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, attended by allies in power but boycotted by all others, including the DMK, AIADMK, and their partners, also resolved to urge all parties to oppose in Parliament any constitutional amendment or new Bill that could alter the existing strength of the Lok Sabha and the present allocation of seats among states.
The DMK, meanwhile, has sought fair delimitation based on the 1971 Census and a constitutional amendment to extend the freeze on the allocation of seats for another 30 years from 2026. It has also demanded that the Centre ensure that Tamil Nadu's present 7.18% share of representation in Parliament is not reduced under any circumstances.
The meeting called for the existing strength of 543 Lok Sabha members and the present inter-State allocation of seats to be retained permanently through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments. It also sought to retain the existing 2.2:1 ratio between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, warning that any change could seriously affect the representation of states.
They noted that the number of parliamentary seats allocated to southern states, which had successfully implemented population control measures, could decline after the 2026 Census. The proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats by up to 50% was described as an "illusion to sweeten the pill", they said.
The MPs also argued that the existing strength of 543 Lok Sabha members should be retained, pointing out that MPs already had limited time to present their views in Parliament. The proposal to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats by up to 50% was described as an "illusion to sweeten the pill".
The meeting also discussed the powers of the Delimitation Commission, with participants suggesting that Parliament should have the final authority on the issue.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay appealed to MPs from all parties to work together to protect Tamil Nadu's parliamentary representation and oppose any move to alter the existing strength of Parliament and the present delimitation arrangement.
Ministers N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, R Nirmalkumar and Rajmohan, along with MPs including P Chidambaram, Manickam Tagore and Thol Thirumavalavan, participated in the meeting.
The meeting was attended by 19 MPs from Congress (11), VCK (2), CPI (2), CPM (2), IUML (1) and MDMK (1), while DMK, AIADMK, PMK, DMDK, and MNM skipped the meeting despite invitations being extended to all 57 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu.