Chennai : At a time when the Centre has signalled its intention to reintroduce the delimitation bill, which it has linked to the implementation of women’s reservation, the issue has become the latest flashpoint in Tamil Nadu. Amid buzz that the DMK has softened its stance on the bill much to the unease of the INDIA bloc, Udhayanidhi Stalin clarified that the party had opposed delimitation from the very beginning and “will continue to do so”.
With differing voices emerging on the key issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has called a meeting with state MPs to discuss the proposed delimitation exercise. So far, the DMK had not presented a stern stance on the bill amid talks of its revival. It had led to unease in the opposition, especially the Congress. However, much water has flown down the Cauvery since DMK supremo MK Stalin burnt a copy of the bill as a symbolic protest. The DMK exited the INDIA bloc at the national level after the Congress ditched the party to support Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu.
Significantly, the clarification came hours after a report in The Hindu claimed the DMK has indicated it might support the delimitation bill if three changes were incorporated. With 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and eight in the Rajya Sabha, the DMK is the fifth-largest constituent in Parliament. The DMK has demanded that the 1971 Census and not the 2011 exercise should remain the basis for delimitation of the Lok Sabha for the next 25 years.
Thirdly, according to the report, the DMK wants the bill to include a state-wise list showing how many seats each state will have following the proposed delimitation exercise. The key argument of parties in Tamil Nadu and southern states is that linking the delimitation exercise to population would unfairly benefit the North, where population growth has been higher. The southern states have historically performed better in population control.
The six southern states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Telangana – account for around 24% of the population. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay will hold a meeting with MPs from the state on Saturday to discuss the proposed delimitation bill and its potential impact on the state. The meeting will be attended by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu.
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