Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring constitutional amendments to permanently fix the strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 members and retain the existing state-wise allocation of seats. Vijay referred to a resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly a day earlier opposing any change in the current distribution of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies following the proposed delimitation exercise.
Vijay said the resolution called for the total strength of the Lok Sabha to remain fixed at 543, with the number of seats allocated to each state also retained at the present level. The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to implement 33 percent reservation for women in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elections that follow. The Tamil Nadu Assembly had on Wednesday expressed concern that southern states could lose Parliamentary representation if delimitation is carried out using post-1971 population figures.
Vijay has therefore sought three key measures from the Centre: a constitutional amendment fixing the Lok Sabha’s strength at 543, continuation of the existing state-wise distribution of seats, and 33 per cent reservation for women in the next Lok Sabha and subsequent Assembly elections. The Chief Minister enclosed a copy of the Assembly resolution with his letter and urged the Prime Minister to consider its demands and initiate the necessary constitutional amendments.
On August 12, it was deliberated in the Assembly that after the Census, the southern states may lose seats (if Article 81 (2)(a) covering the subject of allotment of seats was applied) as had happened in 1967 when the number of MP seats in Tamil Nadu was reduced from 41 to 39. Any delimitation based on post 1971 population that alters the existing strength would cause lasting injustice to the Southern States which have efficiently implemented the population control programmes, achieved good economic growth, carried out proper healthcare and public welfare schemes.
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