MK Stalin invites 6 CMs to join delimitation fight

CHENNAI: Gathering support for his offensive against the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Friday invited his counterparts and former chief ministers of six states, mainly in the south, to jointly examine the Constitutional, legal and political dimensions of the challenge threatening to permanently diminish the states' influence in shaping the nation's future.

In a letter, Stalin also asked them to formally be part of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the seven states, including TN, and nominate a senior representative each to safeguard their political rights.

In his demi-official letter to the CMs and former CMs, Stalin said the "issue transcends individual state concerns--it strikes at the heart of our federal principles. Together, we must examine the constitutional, legal, and political dimensions of this challenge."

Arguing they must jointly develop alternatives that preserve the states' current representation in percentage terms, Stalin sought the leaders’ "formal consent to join a JAC comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka in the south to West Bengal and Odisha in the east, and Punjab in the north." Stalin also asked them to nominate a senior representative from their parties to serve on the JAC and help coordinate 'our' unified strategy.

"Only through a collaborative analysis and a unified advocacy can we hope to secure a delimitation process that honours our role in nation-building without compromising our current level of representation in percentage terms," Stalin reasoned, proposing the inaugural meet of the JAC in Chennai on March 22 to chart a collective course forward.

Later, in a post on X, the CM said, "The Union government's plan for delimitation is a blatant assault on federalism, punishing states that ensured population control and good governance by stripping away our rightful voice in Parliament. We will not allow this democratic injustice! Let us stand together not as separate political entities but as protectors of our people's future."

"This moment demands leadership and collaboration, rising above political differences and standing up for our collective good. What is at stake is not any abstract principle - it is our states' ability to secure rightful resources for development, to influence crucial policies on education and healthcare and to ensure our economic priorities receive due attention in the national agenda, " Stalin wrote, inviting them to the JAC meeting.

Post 2026, the situation may become drastically skewed: Stalin

Reasoning that the essence of India's democracy rested on its federal character – a system that gives each state its rightful voice while honouring sacred unity as one nation, Stalin said, “Today, I write with urgency as this balance faces a profound threat that could permanently diminish the influence of states like ours in shaping our nation's future."

Briefly recapping the history of delimitation since 1952, the Tamil Nadu chief minister said, "With the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation exercise – originally expected after the 2031 Census - could now take place much earlier than anticipated. This acceleration gives us very little time to protect our interests. Post 2026, the situation may become drastically skewed if the exercise is conducted as per the next census population."

"Once implemented, this democratic imbalance could persist for decades, leaving our states with diminished capacity to advocate our people's interests, secure rightful resources and influence critical national decisions," he said, reasoning that they were only opposed to the weaponisation of delimitation against states that fulfilled their national duties.

Accusing the Union government of neither providing clarity nor any concrete commitment to address their concerns, Stalin said, "Their representatives have vaguely stated that delimitation would follow a "pro-rata" basis, without explaining the base used for such pro-rata calculation as well as raising an empty rhetoric than no State will face a decrease in its seats. When the very foundation of our democracy is at stake, can we accept such vague assurances? When our States' futures hang in the balance, do we not deserve transparent dialogue?"