TVK chief Vijay calls for freezing number of Lok Sabha seats based on 1971 Census
Chennai, March 5 (IANS) Tamil superstar and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President Vijay, on Wednesday called for the indefinite freezing of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census.
In a statement, he emphasised that any delimitation exercise based on new population data would disproportionately disadvantage southern states.
Vijay pointed out that the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act had already frozen the number of Lok Sabha seats until 2026, ensuring representation remained aligned with the 1971 Census.
However, with the Union government expected to begin the delimitation process next year, he expressed concerns over the lack of transparency regarding the methodology and criteria that would be used.
The TVK chief strongly opposed any move to revise seat allocation using updated population data, arguing that it would penalise states that had successfully implemented policies for healthcare, education, and population control over the past five decades.
“If the number of seats in southern states is reduced while states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar gain disproportionate representation, it would be an unjust outcome,” Vijay stated.
Vijay also dismissed proposals to increase the overall number of Lok Sabha seats while maintaining the current proportional representation.
According to him, this would only dilute the effectiveness of parliamentary proceedings.
“With 543 MPs already in the Lok Sabha, many struggle to raise concerns during Question Hour. Increasing the number of seats would further reduce their opportunity to participate in meaningful discussions, turning them into mere ornamental figures,” he explained.
He further urged parliamentary reforms, citing the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the British Parliament as an example.
He noted that India’s parliamentary system lacks a similar mechanism, and many crucial Bills are passed without adequate discussion.
Additionally, Vijay argued that increasing the number of MPs would add unnecessary financial burdens on the government due to the additional expenses related to salaries, accommodation, and other facilities.
The actor-politician also stressed the need for transparency in judicial appointments, accusing the Centre of ignoring Collegium recommendations for the Supreme Court and High Court judges.
He pointed out that only a retired Supreme Court judge could serve as chairperson of the Delimitation Commission, and questioned the fairness of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner, who is also part of the commission.
Vijay demanded that election commissioners be appointed through consensus rather than arbitrary decisions by the government.
Vijay further argued that the current method of allocating Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats based on population contradicts the principle of cooperative federalism.
Drawing a comparison with the United States Senate, where each state has two representatives, he suggested consulting constitutional experts to explore a similar model for the Rajya Sabha.
He also stressed that delimitation should only proceed with consensus from all states, rather than being imposed unilaterally by the Centre.
Finally, Vijay criticised the government’s approach to financial allocations, stating that funds should be distributed fairly, without political considerations.
He noted that while India’s Constitution was designed as a federal system with a unitary bias, the country has since evolved into a stable democracy. Therefore, states should now be granted greater administrative and financial autonomy to govern more effectively.
–IANS
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