MK Stalin hosts mega multi-state meeting on delimitation in Chennai, BJP calls it drama

The group- dubbed as the Joint Action Committee- is meeting at ITC Chola in Chennai for all parties to discuss delimitation, which Stalin's DMK strongly opposes.

Stalin wrote on X, "Today will be etched in history as the day when states that have contributed to our nation’s development came together to safeguard its federal structure by ensuring #FairDelimitation.

"I warmly welcome all Chief Ministers and political leaders to this meeting, united in our commitment to #FairDelimitation."

Stalin wrote letters to Chief Ministers from various south Indian states as well as the CMs from West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab.

Apart from CMs from the south Indian states, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is attending.

In an apparent jolt to the opposition unity, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is travelling to London on Saturday, is likely to send none from her party.

Protesting against the meeting, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai accused Stalin of doing "political drama" instead of raising the state's rights with its neighbours.

What is delimitation and why is DMK opposing it?

Delimitation is a process which the central government decides to exercise to redraw the parliamentary representation or constituencies on the basis of population growth.

The latest delimitation was done in 2002, a year after the 2001 census.

The south Indian parties- led by Stalin largely- fear the states from the lower part of the Indian map will get their representations shrinking.

The states feel they would suffer due to the population control drive. The delimitation exercise therefore might lead the south Indian states to lose their representations in Parliament.

Realising the situation, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001 promised South India that the 2002 delimitation will be based on 1971 census and not 2001 census to avoid the part of India losing a chunk of seats.

As a result, the Lok Sabha seats remained unaltered at 543, the figure came during the 1973 delimitation.

The DMK, which is the rival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, urged the Centre to use the 1971 census date for the delimitation exercise which is expected to be held in 2026.

'Not a single seat will be reduced'

Addressing the concerns, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the south Indian states will not have any reduction in the number of seats due to the delimitation exercise.

Shah said in February as quoted by The Indian Express, "Today a meeting will be held to ensure the South does not suffer on account of delimitation. The public in Tamil Nadu is disturbed. This is why the Tamil Nadu CM (Stalin) and his son (Udhayanidhi) are trying to distract the public.

"Mr Stalin, the Modi government has made it clear in Lok Sabha that after delimitation, on pro rata basis, not a single seat will be reduced in any southern state. And I want to reassure the public of South India that Modi ji has kept your interest in mind to make sure that not even one seat is reduced pro rata. And whatever increase is there, southern states will get a fair share, there is no reason to doubt this."