Tamil Nadu Assembly passes resolution against delimitation; urges freeze on LS seats at 543, DMK backs TVK govt move

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 12 (ANI): The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution againt the proposed Delimitation exercise.
Speaking in the Assembly while moving the resolution CM Vijay said, "The 33% reservation for women should be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections itself, based on the existing 543 constituencies. The 33% reservation for women should not be delayed any further. In Tamil Nadu, more women have voted than men. Providing reservations for women is not a concession; it is a matter of social justice. The 33% reservation for women must be implemented without any further delay."
In the resolution the Tamil Nadu Government urged the Union Government to, Permanently retain the total number of Lok Sabha members at 543 as it is now, permanently retain the inter-state allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on the current proportion of representation, maintain the current ratio of 2.2:1 between population and states and implement the 33% reservation for women in the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the current 543 constituencies, even before the Women's Reservation Bill is implemented.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin extended his party's support to the TVK government's resolution. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin emphasized that the DMK was the first to raise concerns regarding the impact of redrawing constituencies.
"The movement that first told India what the impact of delimitation would be is the DMK. Our firm stand is that Tamil Nadu should not be affected by constituency delimitation. In the name of constituency delimitation, the number of Members of Parliament should not be reduced. Our stand is that constituency delimitation should not be carried out for the next 25 years," Udhayanidhi Stalin said.
Welcoming the components of the resolution, the DMK leader added, "We welcome the resolution against Delimitation by reiterating that the 7.18 per cent reservation for TN in Lok Sabha must not be reduced. We also welcome the resolution on 33 per cent reservation for women."
However, the resolution faced stiff opposition from the AIADMK and DMDK, who questioned the timing and necessity of the move. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) alleged that the resolution was a "political move" by the TVK-led administration.
"At a time when there is no indication that the Union Government is going to introduce a delimitation Bill in Parliament, we believe that the Tamil Nadu government led by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has hurriedly brought this resolution... for political reasons and to create unnecessary excitement over the issue," EPS stated.
The AIADMK leader further clarified that while the party opposes the resolution in its current form, it supports the administrative logic of delimitation if handled fairly.
"There is nothing wrong with delimiting Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies with a large number of voters on the basis of voter population and geographical area, in the interest of administrative convenience. The Union Government should undertake the delimitation exercise in a manner that causes no disadvantage to Tamil Nadu and should ensure that the State's representation in Parliament does not fall below the existing proportion of 7.18 per cent," EPS remarked.
Despite opposing the main resolution, EPS confirmed his party's support for the women's quota. "The AIADMK supports only the resolution mentioned as Item No. 3... which seeks to ensure that women receive the benefit of one-third reservation of seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha general election and the subsequent Assembly general elections," he added.
DMDK MLA Premalatha Vijayakanth echoed similar sentiments, questioning the appropriateness of the resolution. "When the Union Government has not brought any legislative draft for a bill related to constituency delimitation, on what basis would a special resolution be appropriate? Hence, we don't see the relevance of this resolution now," she said, while also backing the 33 per cent women's reservation.
Taking a different stance, BJP MLA M. Bhojarajan urged parties to accept the process as a natural progression. "People wanted change, and that is why you are in power now. As time goes by, we must accept the necessary and positive changes," he said.
The resolution passed by the Assembly seeks to protect the political representation of southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, arguing that their success in population control should not lead to a reduction in their voice in Parliament. (ANI)