TN Assembly adopts resolution urging Centre to retain 543 Lok Sabha seats

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging the Union government to retain the existing strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats and implement the 33 percent reservation for women in Lok Sabha without linking it to the proposed delimitation exercise.

The resolution, moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, was adopted by voice vote after a debate in which the DMK supported the government, while the AIADMK, BJP, PMK and DMDK opposed the resolution on different grounds.

The Chief Minister said that although legislation providing for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies had already been enacted, its implementation had been delayed.

"Delaying women's reservation by linking it with the census and delimitation amounts to denying women their political rights. Women's reservation should not be postponed or merged with the census and delimitation exercise," Vijay said.

Referring to the consultative meeting held by the State government on August 8, he said the participating parties had supported retaining the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats and implementing women's reservation in the ensuing election.

During the debate, AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP MLA M Bhojarajan and PMK MLA A Ganeshkumar opposed the resolution, arguing that there was no urgency since the Union government had not introduced a delimitation Bill. However, they supported the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women.

DMDK member Premalatha Vijayakanth took a different position, saying she neither supported nor opposed delimitation. She questioned the rationale behind the State Assembly adopting a resolution when the Union government had not introduced a delimitation Bill. She also favoured increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats by 50 percent and supported women's reservation.

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi supported the resolution with a condition, saying that if delimitation was undertaken for implementing women's reservation, it should be based on the 1971 Census.

"If there is any change in Tamil Nadu's proportion of MPs, its representation should not fall below 7.18 percent," he said.

Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna explained the government's rationale for bringing the resolution and highlighted the possible impact of delimitation on Tamil Nadu's representation. Following the DMK's support, the resolution was adopted by voice vote.