Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 26: In the face of the Tamil Nadu chief minister convening an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss possible reduction in the number of Lok Sabha seats in the state under the delimitation exercise, the union home minister Amit Shah assured on Wednesday that the delimitation exercise would not affect the southern States as new seats would be allocated on a pro-rata basis and that these States would only get more seats as a result.
Inaugurating new buildings for BJP offices in Coimbatore, Ramanathapuram, and Tiruvannamalai districts at a function held in Coimbatore, Mr Shah said the southern States would not lose a single seat to delimitation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had clearly stated in Parliament that delimitation would not even reduce one Parliament seat of the southern States, he said.
“CM (Stalin) and his son (Udhayanidhi Stalin) are trying to mislead the people of Tamil Nadu by raking up some issues. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has made it clear in Parliament that the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies based on population levels, on pro-rata basis, will not alter the proportion of Lok Sabha members from southern states,” Shah said.
Mr Shah alleged that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was raising new issues every day so that problems in his government were not exposed. “You (Chief Minister MK Stalin) are lying to the people of Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister should answer me,” he said, pointing out that during 10 years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from 2004 to 2014 — when the DMK was part of it — Tamil Nadu got ₹1,52,901 crore through devolution of funds and grant in aid. In the 10 years of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government from 2014 to 2024, the State got ₹5,08,337 crore. It also got ₹1,43,000 crore for infrastructure works.
The law and order situation in Tamil Nadu was the worst in the country and women were not safe in universities, he said, alleging that the drug mafia “had the blessings of the government” and illegal mining was rampant in the State. “The DMK ministers have a “Masters’ degree” in corruption,” he alleged.
His statement came in response to Mr Stalin convening an all-party meeting on March 5 in Chennai to discuss the impact of the proposed delimitation exercise on Tamil Nadu, which may lead to a reduction in the number of Lok Sabha seats in the State.
Speaking to media persons after chairing a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat in Chennai, Mr Stalin had said “Tamil Nadu is compelled to wage a major battle for its rights. The threat of delimitation is hanging over the southern States like a sword of Damocles. Tamil Nadu, a leader in an HDIs [Human Development Indices], faces serious danger. The Union government plans to conduct the delimitation exercise based on the 2026 Census. Population control has been a key national objective, and Tamil Nadu has successfully achieved it through effective family planning. prioritising women’s education, and advancements in healthcare.”
The Chief Minister further said: “As of now, Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. The delimitation exercise is likely to reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats to 31. It is not just a reduction in numbers. It is about our rights. The voice of Tamil Nadu is being suppressed in the name of delimitation. Transcending political differences, everyone should come together and raise our voice.”
To discuss the issues surrounding delimitation, it has been decided to invite 40 registered political parties in the State for an all-party meeting, he added. When asked whether he would urge the AIADMK, the principal Opposition party in the State, to work with the government on the issue, Mr Stalin said: “I definitely hope that the AIADMK will also raise its voice.”
The Chief Minister also wrote a letter to various political parties on Tuesday, urging them to voice their opposition to the delimitation exercise. In the letter, Mr Stalin said: “We have been taking several measures to uphold the rights of Tamil Nadu and protect the interests of the Tamil people. However, we are in a situation where we must constantly fight to secure our financial and administrative rights.”
The Chief Minister said though Article 82 of the Constitution of India provided for readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha based on a population census, the delimitation exercise was frozen till 2026 through several Constitutional Amendment Acts, thanks to the pressure exerted by the southern States. Till 2026, the allocation of the number of seats in Lok Sabha to the States would be based on the 1971 Census, he said.
Though the delimitation exercise was frozen till 2026 to encourage States to implement population growth control measures, the performance of all States is not equal. The southern States, including Tamil Nadu, implemented several population growth control measures. However, in the name of delimitation, the Union government is trying to punish Tamil Nadu. It is not acceptable,” Mr Stalin said.
“Delimitation isn’t just about Tamil Nadu, It affects all of South India. A democratic process should not penalise States that have successfully managed population growth, led in development, and made significant contributions to national progress. We need a fair, transparent, and equitable approach that upholds true federalism,” he added.
On Tuesday, Stalin said Tamil Nadu’s successful implementation of family planning policies had placed it at a disadvantage. “If delimitation is implemented based on population census, Tamil Nadu will lose eight MPs. This will lead to Tamil Nadu losing representation in Parliament,” Stalin said.
“As the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, I bring to everyone’s attention that the Lok Sabha delimitation exercise based on the 2026 Census is extremely dangerous. Southern states like Tamil Nadu have done a great job in controlling population growth. But if that is the reason why our strength in Parliament will decrease, if it can suppress our voice, how can it be justified?” Stalin asked in a post on X.
He also pointed out that the proposed delimitation exercise was considered to be implemented in either of the following two methods: “If it is carried out based on the existing number of seats in Parliament and the current population, then Tamil Nadu is likely to lose eight Lok Sabha seats. And if the exercise is done with the number of seats in the Lok Sabha being increased to 848 and based on the current population, then the State will get only 10 more seats as opposed to the proportional increase of 22 additional seats. We will lose 12 seats as per the second method, and in both cases, we only stand to lose seats.”
Mr Stalin further alleged: “The Union government is discriminating against Tamil Nadu and attempting to curb the State’s autonomy by curtailing funds for centrally sponsored schemes. If there is a reduction in the number of Lok Sabha seats, then the State’s rights will be completely curtailed.”
He went on to allege that the Centre had been constantly attempting to impose national-level policies on Tamil Nadu and usurp the State’s educational rights through National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and regulations of University Grants Commission (UGC). “Considering these threats, we must ensure that the proposed delimitation exercise won’t affect the rights of Tamil Nadu; it should be stopped before such an exercise destroys our federal structure. Each one of us should join hands together as we have little time,” Mr Stalin said in his letter, appealing to leaders of political parties to extend their cooperation to discuss the further course of action.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai said the Home Minister, during his visit to the State in November 2022, had advised the Chief Minister to introduce medical and technical education in Tamil. It was the Home Minister who had introduced exams for the CISF and CRPF in any of 13 Indian languages, he said.
The union minister of state for education Jayant Chaudhary also dismissed Mr Stalin’s concerns over possible reduction in the number of seats. Mr Chaudhary said convening an all-party meeting on the issue was an effort to anticipate things that have not been decided as yet. “Nothing has been decided, so why are assumptions being made on the results of delimitation? Whatever will be adopted in terms of delimitation will be the result of political dialogue in which all will participate,” he said.
