Delimitation a threat to southern states’ political representation: Udhayanidhi Stalin

Chennai, March 22 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday said that the proposed delimitation exercise is a threat to the political representation of southern states and should be opposed strongly.

Addressing delegates at the inaugural Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on delimitation in Chennai, called by his father and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin warned that the move poses a serious threat to the rights and representation of states that have effectively implemented population control policies.

Calling the meeting “crucial”, he said: “We are at a very critical juncture where our voices and rights are under real threat.”

Terming the proposed delimitation exercise a “threat” imposed by the Centre, he elaborated on how it unfairly penalises states like Tamil Nadu that have successfully curbed population growth through proactive family planning initiatives.

“We introduced policies, raised awareness, and achieved the national goal of stabilising population growth. While some states continue to witness a surge in population, we acted responsibly. As a result, we reached the population replacement rate much earlier than others. But instead of being rewarded, we now face the risk of losing political representation.”

Referring to Article 82 of the Constitution, he outlined the legal framework for delimitation.

“Parliamentary seats are supposed to be reallocated after each census. For instance, the number of Lok Sabha seats increased from 489 to 494 after the 1951 census and to 522 after the 1961 census. The last delimitation was based on the 1971 census, fixing the number of seats at 543.”

Udhayanidhi Stalin highlighted that earlier amendments had frozen the delimitation process to protect the interests of population-stabilised states.

“To encourage responsible states, the 42nd Amendment in 1976 froze delimitation for 25 years, till 2000. This was extended by the 84th Amendment in 2002 until 2026,” he said, adding that with the freeze set to expire soon and the 2021 census still pending due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is growing uncertainty.

“This delay seems strategic. If delimitation is carried out using post-2026 census data, the number of Lok Sabha seats will be drastically realigned. States with higher population growth will gain more seats, while states like ours will lose out,” he said.

Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised the Central government for its lack of transparency.

“There has been no clear statement from either the Prime Minister or the Home Minister on whether the freeze will continue. Their contradictory remarks have only added to the confusion,” he said.

Citing different statements from key leaders, he added: “In September 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that the number of Lok Sabha seats would increase after delimitation. Yet, during an election rally in Telangana, Prime Minister Modi warned that the southern states could lose around 100 seats. Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, Shah recently claimed that Tamil Nadu would not be affected by the delimitation.”

“These conflicting statements leave us with crucial questions. Will the number of seats stay at 543 or be increased? If increased, to how many? And most importantly, how will they be distributed? Will it be based on the 1971 census or the proposed 2026 census?”

The Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister outlined two possible outcomes if the freeze is not extended and said that either redistribution of the existing 543 seats based on the 2026 census data or expansion of Lok Sabha to 848 seats, followed by redistribution.

“In either scenario, our political representation will decline significantly,”

Udhayanidhi Stalin also said that the states represented at the JAC currently hold 163 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, or nearly 30 per cent.

“If delimitation proceeds, our collective representation could drop to just 133 seats — about 24 per cent. For instance, Kerala may lose 8 of its 20 seats, which is a staggering 40 per cent reduction. Even if the number of seats increases, our overall share will still shrink to about 24.7 per cent from the current 30 per cent,” he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister warned that such an outcome would unfairly benefit states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh – which have higher population growth rates – while diluting the voice of the South and other states that followed the population control roadmap.

“This imbalance will allow a few states to dominate national policy decisions on agriculture, industry, employment, and regional development, sidelining the genuine needs and aspirations of our people,” he said.

“The formation of the Union government will be heavily influenced by just a few states, weakening the federal structure and marginalising southern states and other responsible regions.”

Calling the move “unjust and politically motivated”, Udhayanidhi Stalin asserted: “This is not merely a numbers game — it’s a calculated attempt to reduce the influence of non-BJP ruled states.”

He urged all the attending states to unite against what he called an unjust process. “We must collectively demand that the current proportionate representation of each state in the Lok Sabha be maintained, whether the total number of seats increases or not. This isn’t just about the South or any one region. It’s about protecting the future of democracy in India. Let us stand united, raise our voices, and fight for a fair and just delimitation process that upholds representation and ensures justice for generations to come,” he added.

–IANS

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