Opposition demands 25-year freeze on delimitation, say representation at risk

A Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Punjab, along with political leaders from Odisha, Jharkhand, and Karnataka, has urged the Centre to extend the freeze on delimitation for another 25 years. The meeting, held in Chennai and convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, aimed to prevent a parliamentary seat redistribution that could reduce representation for states that successfully controlled population growth. The resolution passed at the meeting stated that any delimitation exercise should be transparent, allowing all stakeholders, including state governments, to participate.

The leaders argued that the existing freeze, based on the 1971 Census and extended until 2026 by constitutional amendments, was intended to protect states that implemented population control measures. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy warned, "If the BJP does this, South India will lose its political voice." Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated, "Federalism is not a gift but a right." Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alleged that the BJP aimed to increase seats where it had electoral strength and decrease them elsewhere. Odisha's BJD President Naveen Patnaik said, "Delimitation based only on population figures will be unfair to states that have worked hard to reduce their population growth rates."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had previously stated that the Modi government would ensure that redrawing parliamentary constituencies would not reduce the proportional representation of southern states. However, DMK MP Kanimozhi questioned the clarity of this assurance, stating, "Shah’s statement that Tamil Nadu will not be affected on a pro-rata basis confirms their plan to enforce it soon without giving any official clarity." The JAC members rejected population-based delimitation, arguing it would disproportionately benefit northern states and alter the existing balance in the Lok Sabha.

The JAC resolution called for a core committee of Members of Parliament to coordinate parliamentary strategies and submit a joint representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. State governments were also urged to pass resolutions in their legislative assemblies to formally communicate opposition to population-based seat allocation. Leaders from different states suggested alternatives, such as increasing the parliamentary share of southern states based on their economic contribution and strengthening the Rajya Sabha to counterbalance any loss of representation in the Lok Sabha.

The next JAC meeting will be held in Hyderabad, as proposed by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Leaders at the meeting emphasized that they would not accept any delimitation that reduces their representation. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar called the move an "assault on southern states," while Kanimozhi reiterated that the demand was for fairness, not division. The Union government has not yet announced a timeline for delimitation or the Census, which will serve as its basis.