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COVER STORY MARCH 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 5

The Chief Minister stated that if Congress leader V Hanumantha
the exercise is based on population Rao on Thursday criticized the BJP-
after 2026, states with better popula- led central government over the im-
tion control would face a reduction in position of Hindi and delimitation,
parliamentary representation, which saying it was an injustice to South
he called unjust. He also stated that India. He urged all parties to unite
the Union Government has not clar- against these issues and support the
ified the matter, only offering vague efforts of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.
assurances. V Hanumantha Rao said, “He
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has been saying that the Hindi im-
(DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva and other position and delimitation are just to
party MPs held a protest outside the serve North India and unfair to South
Parliament on Monday over the de- India. All parties should unite against
limitation issue. these matters. Delimitation will less-
“The delimitation exercise is en our MP seats. This is the work of
due to be done in 2026. As per the the saffron party. Everyone should
constitution, it has to be done under support the good work that Stalin is
the population. Earlier in the 42nd doing on this issue.”
Amendment and the 84th Amend- As the row over constituency
ment, it was decided to have it after delimitation intensified, Union Con-
25 years because the birth control sumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi
progress has to be noted. If the de- Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has said that an action plan is being prepared to on Saturday questioned Tamil Nadu
limitation exercise is done on that ba- Chief Minister MK Stalin’s call for a
sis, all the Southern states will be at a thwart the Central Government’s “conspiracy” against the Southern States (ANI) Joint Action Committee (JAC) meet-
disadvantage, including Tamil Nadu. ing on delimitation, alleging that
We are insisting that the government Also, Telangana Chief Minister sentation from the southern states. Stalin’s opposition was an attempt to
should evolve a way that the South- A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said The BJP wants to take revenge on “cover up” his “corruption and fail-
ern states will not be affected by way that an action plan is being prepared these states where they faced defeat,” ure.”
of this delimitation exercise, and they to thwart the Central Government’s Reddy said. “This is his (MK Stalin’s) attempt
have to find an alternate way,” Tiru- “conspiracy” against the Southern The CM appealed to everyone to to cover up his misdeeds, corruption,
chi Siva said. States through the delimitation of As- work for the protection of the rights and failure,” Joshi told ANI.
Congress leader P Chidambaram sembly and Lok Sabha constituencies. of the southern states, regardless of He said there was no need for
expressed his fear that if delimitation The Chief Minister was speaking their political affiliations. He said a committee since there was no de-
is conducted, Southern states will lose to the media after meeting a DMK that a plan of action will be formulat- limitation commission. “What is the
26 seats in the Lok Sabha, and their delegation in Delhi to discuss joint ed on the steps to be taken to over- need of this committee when there’s
voices will not be heard. “Delimita- action to ensure that the delimitation come the losses associated with the no delimitation commission so far, no
tion is a serious issue. It was frozen will not reduce the share of seats in delimitation of the constituencies in terms of references?” Joshi asked.
in 1971. A census taken after 2026 the Parliament. a meeting to be held in Chennai on Accusing Stalin of “talking non-
will lead to delimitation, followed “This is not a delimitation of March 22. sense things,” he said that Union
by re-determination of the seats. Ac- constituencies, but an attempt to re- Karnataka Chief Minister Sidda- Home Minister Amit Shah has as-
cording to our calculation, if it is re- duce the importance of the southern ramaiah on Thursday said that he has sured that the number of Parliamen-
distributed according to the current states,” Reddy said. received Tamil Nadu Chief Minister tary and Assembly seats would not be
population of states, and the state’s The Chief Minister said that MK Stalin’s letter regarding state curtailed.
numbers are changed, our south- any attempt to reduce the political autonomy and constituency delimi- “The Home Minister himself has
ern states, which have 129 seats, will importance of the southern States tation. Taking to X, Siddaramaiah re- assured that there will be no reduc-
come down to 103. The five southern will not be tolerated. “We (southern iterated Karnataka’s commitment to tion in the number of MP or MLA
states will lose 26 seats, whereas the states) have served the country a lot. protecting the federal structure and constituencies. Why talk nonsense
populous states where population is The BJP does not have much repre- state rights. things despite knowing that?” Joshi
growing will gain seats, especially UP, said.
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajas- Meanwhile, the Congress has
than,” Chidambaram said. backed CM Stalin’s stance on delimi-
Congress leader P Chidambaram tation. However, the party has not yet
expressed his fear that if delimitation confirmed whether they will join the
is conducted, Southern states will JAC meeting on March 22.
lose 26 seats in the Lok Sabha, and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
their voices will not be heard. opposed any move to penalize states
He further said that the South- that have successfully implemented
ern states have stabilized their popu- family planning measures in the con-
lation. “Northern states have not sta- text of delimitation and language pol-
bilized the population and it will take icy and underscored the importance
time to stabilise. With 129, our voices of linguistic diversity, saying that any
are not heard in Parliament. In 103 it form of ‘linguistic imperialism’ is un-
will become worst. We are opposing acceptable.
delimitation and re-determination Ramesh emphasized that states
based on current population. Tamil like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which
Nadu will lose 8 seats if 543 constit- Congress leader P Chidambaram has expressed his fear that if delimitation is conducted, pioneered population stabilization,
uencies are divided according to the Southern states will lose 26 seats in the Lok Sabha (RSTV) should not be disadvantaged in terms
current population,” he further said. of parliamentary seat allocation.

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