- MK Stalin also accused the AIADMK of siding with the Centre against Tamil Nadu's interests
- He said the party, which is allied with the BJP, is backing “an unfair delimitation” process
- The AIADMK accused him of peddling lies for political gains
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin used the occasion of World Population Day on Friday to renew his demand for a "fair delimitation" of parliamentary constituencies, warning against what he called an attempt to "punish" progressive southern states for successfully controlling their population growth.
With the AIADMK reviving ties with the BJP ahead of the 2026 assembly polls, Mr Stalin accused the Dravidian party and its leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of siding with the Centre on the issue rather than standing up for Tamil Nadu's interests. "Tamil Nadu did the right thing - we empowered women, ensured access to healthcare and education, and led in population control. But our reward has been fewer seats, less funding, and a voice that's being pushed out of Parliament," he said.
The chief minister alleged that the AIADMK was backing "an unfair delimitation" process which would drastically alter the balance of representation in the Lok Sabha, benefiting the northern states at the expense of the south.
"Tamil Nadu's voice is being drowned out because we chose to develop, to uplift. Delhi sees that as a threat. EPS is choosing to stand with Delhi, not with Tamil Nadu," he said.
Hitting back at Mr Stalin, EPS said the Centre has made its stand clear.
"Home Minister Amit Shah has clarified that Tamil Nadu's tally will not reduce. What more do you want?" the AIADMK chief asked.
"Delimitation has not even been announced yet, how can we explain our stand?" he added.
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan also accused Mr Stalin of lying for political gains.
"It was the AIADMK that first mooted the idea of freezing Tamil Nadu's current proportion of MPs. The DMK is peddling lies for political mileage," Mr Sathyan said.
Asked why this was not made a condition for reviving ties with the BJP, the AIADMK leader said, "What's the need to raise this now when the Centre has not even started the process?".
Delimitation Issue
The contentious issue concerns the likely delimitation exercise after the 2027 census. Southern states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully stabilised their populations over decades, fear that their relative share of Lok Sabha seats will shrink. This, they argue, would effectively penalise them for their progress in population control, while states with unchecked population growth would gain more representation.
Tamil Nadu currently has 39 Lok Sabha seats, accounting for 7.1% of the total strength in the lower house. A new delimitation based on updated population figures is expected to significantly boost the number of seats for states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Although Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sought to reassure the southern states that "no one will lose seats" and that more constituencies will be added there on a "pro rata" basis, many southern leaders have expressed concern that the language which has been used is ambiguous and fails to guarantee the preservation of their current share of representation.
Earlier this year, Mr Stalin convened a high-profile meeting in Chennai on the issue of fair delimitation which was attended by a few chief ministers, deputy chief ministers and other leaders from southern and a few northern states. The gathering signalled a growing southern coalition which is seeking constitutional safeguards to protect political representation.
