Chennai/New Delhi:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after the DMK leader hosted a meeting of top Opposition leaders to discuss their strategy against the proposed delimitation of parliamentary seats.
In a letter dated March 27, which he shared in public only this morning, Mr Stalin said he has requested a meeting with PM Modi along with MPs from various parties to present a “Memorandum on Delimitation” – which arises from their concerns that southern states would lose representation in the parliament due to their success in population control.
Mr Stalin said the March 22 meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on ‘Fair Delimitation’ brought together top leaders of the country, including Chief Ministers and their deputies, and leaders from diverse political ideologies.
“The voices emerging from our deliberations transcend political boundaries, embodying the concerns of citizens from diverse regions who seek fair representation in our parliamentary democracy. As this holds significant importance to our states and citizens, I kindly request a meeting with you to formally submit the Memorandum on behalf of the Joint Action Committee,” MK Stalin wrote in his letter to PM Modi.
A resolution passed at the meeting voiced concern over a lack of transparency in the proposed process of delimitation and called for dialogue involving state governments, political parties, and civil society.
Delimitation, a process that reassesses the representation of states in the parliament based on their changed population figures, may follow the next census. Opposition parties fear that the northern states with higher populations stand to gain from this exercise, reducing the share of southern ones.
Mr Stalin, one of the fiercest opposition voices, had called for a “fair delimitation”, suggesting this was not about the number of MPs but the rights of the states.
The BJP, which leads the central government, had trashed the DMK leader’s concern and accused the party of spreading false propaganda. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy had said the DMK is trying to shield itself from the corruption allegations by talking about delimitation and “Hindi imposition”.
