The Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday passed a resolution demanding that the freeze on the number of Parliamentary constituencies be extended for another 25 years, expressing deep concern over the lack of transparency and clarity from the Union government on the issue of delimitation.
Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK hosted the first JAC meeting, bringing together political leaders from certain states to oppose population-based delimitation of Lok Sabha seats. The meeting saw a strong political consensus, with participants pledging to fight for “fair delimitation” and prevent southern states from losing political representation in Parliament.
Show Of Unity
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who convened the meeting, warned of legal action if necessary, stating: “We will not allow our states to be penalized for successfully implementing population control measures.”
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan compared the delimitation proposal to the “sword of Damocles”, accusing the BJP-led central government of pushing the agenda for political gain.
Vijayan cautioned that southern states would lose seats, while northern states would gain, leading to imbalanced representation in Parliament.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP’s delimitation plan would marginalize southern states, making them “secondary citizens.”
“If delimitation is carried out based on population, South India will lose its political voice. We will not accept this,” he said. He also opposed any increase in Lok Sabha seats, stating that southern states already receive less financial allocation despite contributing more to the national economy.
Senior BRS leader KT Ramarao called the population-based approach “extremely unfair.” He argued that southern states, which have made remarkable progress in economic and human development, should not be punished for their success in population control.
The JAC’s resolution has intensified the political debate on delimitation, with pressure mounting on the central government to address the concerns of southern states.
