Stalin calls TN delimitation meet ‘historic,’ BJP labels him ‘Delusional’

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hosted a meeting on Saturday in Chennai with leaders from seven states to discuss the contentious delimitation issue. Stalin called the gathering a “historic day for Indian federalism,” emphasizing the need to protect the country’s federal structure through fair delimitation.

Chief ministers from Kerala, Telangana, and Punjab—Pinarayi Vijayan, Revanth Reddy, and Bhagwant Mann—joined the meeting. Other political leaders, including Shiromani Akali Dal’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Indian Union Muslim League’s PMA Salam, also attended. The DMK invited leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab.

Stalin declared the meeting was more than just a discussion. He called it the start of a movement to ensure fair representation in Parliament. On social media, he welcomed all participating leaders, stressing their shared commitment to equitable delimitation.

Meanwhile, the BJP criticized the meeting. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai called it a “delusional drama” and accused Stalin of ignoring more pressing issues like the Cauvery and Mullaiperiyar water-sharing disputes. BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan labeled the meeting a “corruption-hiding gathering.”

On social media, Annamalai shared a video of DMK Minister TM Anbarasan making what he called an “insulting” comment about northern states. He claimed DMK leaders were collectively disrespecting people from northern India.

The delimitation debate stems from concerns over redrawing constituency boundaries based on population. Stalin has urged the central government to use 1971 population figures for the next 30 years to avoid reducing Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking on March 21, assured that southern states would not lose any parliamentary seats. He accused Stalin of spreading misinformation and called for national unity. Shah also addressed the language debate, asserting that Hindi does not compete with other Indian languages but serves as their ally.

The DMK argues that using post-1971 population data for delimitation would unfairly reduce Tamil Nadu’s share of parliamentary seats due to the state’s successful population control measures. Stalin insists on preserving the state’s 7.18% share of Lok Sabha seats.

The meeting underscored growing tensions between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led central government. While the DMK pushes for fair delimitation based on older population figures, the BJP frames the issue as an attempt to divide the country along regional and linguistic lines.

Despite the political clash, Stalin remains firm in his demand for fair representation. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) plans to continue pressuring the central government to adopt the 1971 census as the basis for future delimitation.