AIADMK, DMK, DMDK to boycott CM Vijay’s delimitation meeting in Chennai today

CHENNAI: The AIADMK, DMK and DMDK have reportedly decided to boycott the consultative meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs convened by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in Chennai on Saturday (August 8) to discuss the proposed constituency delimitation exercise and its potential impact on the State.

The meeting, scheduled to be held at 3 pm at Kalaivanar Arangam, has been convened by the Tamil Nadu government amid concerns over the proposed delimitation process and its implications for Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament.

The Delimitation Bill, 2026, recently debated in the Lok Sabha, has sparked significant political contention, particularly regarding the representation of Southern states.

CM Vijay convenes meeting

The monsoon session of Parliament has been under way since July 20, amid reports that the Central Government may move the Delimitation Bill.

Against this backdrop, the Tamil Nadu government invited Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from the State for a consultative meeting to discuss the proposed exercise.

In a statement, the State government said the meeting would focus on the delimitation exercise proposed by the Central Government and its potential impact on Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is scheduled to preside over the meeting.

Invitations were sent to all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members through the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi.

AIADMK to stay away

Meanwhile, reports indicated that AIADMK MPs would not participate in the meeting convened by the Chief Minister. AIADMK MPs, including Thambidurai and Inbadurai, are currently in Delhi, according to reports.

DMK calls meeting ‘political drama’

The DMK has decided to boycott the meeting, maintaining that there was no change in its earlier position on the delimitation issue. In a statement, the party said it would not participate in what it described as a political exercise being conducted by the State government under the guise of a consultative meeting for MPs.

The DMK will decide on whether to support the Delimitation Bill only after the legislation is formally placed on the table of the Parliament, senior party leader R S Bharathi had said on Friday.

DMDK to skip meeting

The DMDK has also announced that it will not participate in the consultative meeting on constituency delimitation.

The party said its MP Sudheesh would not attend the meeting chaired by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

MNM MP Kamal Haasan absent

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is not likely to attend the consultative meeting.

The party's Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan is currently in the United States, according to reports.

What does the Delimitation Bill 2026 propose?

The Delimitation Bill, 2026, introduced in April 2026 proposed expanding the Lok Sabha by approximately 50 per cent, raising the total number of seats from 543 to 816.

The Union Government has asserted that under this model, Southern states will not lose their proportionate share. For instance, the government projects that Tamil Nadu's representation would increase from 39 to 59 seats, maintaining its share of approximately 7.2 per cent in the expanded House.