Tamil Nadu MPs Oppose Delimitation Bill in Meeting Led by CM Vijay
Tamil Nadu MPs, led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, unanimously opposed the Centre's Delimitation Bill in a recent meeting, attended by 21 out of 57 MPs. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram emphasized the need to preserve Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament, insisting that any changes would be resisted. The meeting was boycotted by the DMK and AIADMK, who criticized it as insincere and lacking clarity. Additionally, opposition parties support the Women's Reservation Bill but oppose its linkage to delimitation, following the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to pass in the Lok Sabha.
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NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu MPs unanimously decided to oppose the Centre’s Delimitation Bill during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram stated that approximately 21 out of the 57 Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu attended the meeting and collectively agreed to resist any changes to the state’s representation in Parliament.
“The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu called for a meeting for all the MPs from Tamil Nadu in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. About 21 of us attended the meeting, and there was absolute unanimity that Tamil Nadu’s rights must be preserved. Our representation in Parliament can’t be diminished. Any alteration and delimitation, either based on population or on a proportionate increase, will be resisted,” Chidambaram said.
He further emphasized, “We want Parliament to be frozen at 543, and the distribution among the states to be preserved as it is, which means Tamil Nadu will have 39 members in a House of 543. We are clear in our unanimous opinion that a larger Parliament will be an ineffective Parliament, and Tamil Nadu will not be well served by a larger Parliament.” He reiterated the demand to maintain the current representation of 39 Lok Sabha MPs for Tamil Nadu.
The meeting was boycotted by the DMK and AIADMK, with both parties dismissing the discussions as a “farce” and a “drama.” Senior DMK leader A. Raja criticized the gathering, describing it as “a laughable exercise” and argued that the Tamil Nadu government was discussing an issue without clarity. The AIADMK labeled the meeting a “hurriedly staged drama,” highlighting that no new delimitation Bill had been introduced in Parliament and there had been no official announcement regarding the exercise.
While Congress and other opposition parties have supported the Women’s Reservation Bill, they have opposed linking its implementation to the delimitation exercise, demanding that women’s reservation be delinked from delimitation.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, was passed by both Houses of Parliament; however, its implementation has stalled after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on April 17. This Bill linked the implementation of 33 percent women’s reservation in legislatures to the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies.