CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said that while he fully supports the implementation of women’s reservation, it must be carried out in a manner that ensures fair representation for all States.
Referring to recent reports suggesting that women’s representation may be based on the 2011 Census, he said in a post on social media platform X that such a move would be contrary to the provisions of the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023, which envisages implementation only after delimitation based on the Census conducted post-2026.
He also expressed concern over the timing of the move, noting that introducing such a major policy decision when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force is unprecedented.
At the same time, Stalin reiterated that the DMK has consistently supported women’s empowerment and would back women’s reservation without preconditions.
However, he stressed that the current proportional representation of States should not be altered under any circumstances.
“To ensure fairness, delimitation and redistribution of constituencies must include a constitutional safeguard guaranteeing the existing share of representation for at least the next 30 years,” he said.
The Chief Minister also urged the Union government to convene a special session of Parliament in early June to take up constitutional amendments related to delimitation, increase in seats, and protection of States’ representation, alongside the implementation of women’s reservation.