After All-Party Meet, Tamil Nadu To Pass Resolution Against Delimitation

The Tamil Nadu government will pass a resolution in the assembly to formally register its objection to any move to begin delimitation in the state, following a meeting between all-party MPs and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay today.

The leaders decided to unitedly say no to any delimitation exercise, citing the state cannot afford to see a change in the number of seats for elected representatives at least for 40-50 years, sources said.

"We will not support delimitation. Chief Minister Vijay has taken a very good step by convening this all-party meeting. If delimitation is implemented, democracy will no longer remain in its true sense. The chief minister has reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the interests and rights of the people of Tamil Nadu," Congress MP Jothimani said.

The leaders said they want the status quo to continue and won't support any change.

MPs belonging to the ruling TVK alliance including from the Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML and also friendly parties such as the CPI and CPI(M) took part in the meeting. In total, 19 MPs participated.

The opposition DMK in the state had however decided to boycott the MPs' consultation meeting, with its Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioning Vijay's priorities and instead, challenging him to take action against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam.

Vijay is learnt to have said it was unfortunate that a party that has ruled Tamil Nadu for six terms, and whose founding leaders made sacrifices for the state's interests, chose not to attend the meeting.

All the leaders who attended the meeting spoke. Four of the Congress's 11 MPs were given an opportunity to speak.

One suggestion was that the Tamil Nadu assembly should pass a resolution opposing any delimitation exercise. The Congress then raised a question: people need to know why the Tamil Nadu government is opposing an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats for the state, and the nuances of the bill.

Vijay spoke towards the end for around six minutes. The meeting decided that the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu will push for a permanent freeze on the number of seats, 543 in the Lok Sabha and 39 in Tamil Nadu.

Kanimozhi asked whether Vijay was prepared to send representatives of the Tamil Nadu government along with MPs from the state to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister and personally submit the assembly resolution opposing the Mekedatu project.

So far, the Union government has neither announced plans to introduce a Delimitation Bill during the current parliament session nor communicated any proposal to amend the existing law.

She said the DMK remained firm in opposing any delimitation exercise that could reduce the state's representation in parliament or adversely affect its rights, adding the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML were among the parties that had participated in previous all-party meeting and had opposed any delimitation formula detrimental to the state.