Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written to current and former chief ministers of seven states, calling on them to join a Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the proposed delimitation exercise. The letter is addressed to the leaders of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka in the South; West Bengal and Odisha in the East; and Punjab in the North.
He has also urged them to nominate a senior representative from their parties to serve on the JAC, assist in coordinating a unified strategy, and attend the inaugural meeting in Chennai on 22 March.
“The Union Government’s plan for Delimitation is a blatant assault on federalism, punishing States that ensured population control and good governance by stripping away our rightful voice in parliament. We will not allow this democratic injustice,” he posted on X Friday after sending the letters to CMs and former CMs.
On 5 March, the Tamil Nadu government, led by Stalin, held an all-party meeting. Except for the BJP, its allies, and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), 58 political parties, including the opposition AIADMK, participated in the discussions.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to form a JAC comprising multiple states across the country to oppose the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on population.
In his letter to the CMs, Stalin wrote, “The situation may become drastically skewed if the exercise is conducted as per the next census population. Those States which controlled their population and achieved superior governance indicators will face an unjust punishment – reduced representation in the very forum where national policies are determined.”
ThePrint has accessed the letter.
The CM’s letter is addressed to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee; Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and its former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao; Odisha’s CM Mohan Charan Majhi ; Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan; Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar; Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann; and Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and its former CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sources in the state government told ThePrint that Stalin will also personally reach out to them via phone calls to invite them to the inaugural JAC meeting.
Also read: TN parties unite against delimitation, resolve to form joint action committee with all southern states
‘It strikes at the heart of our federal principles’
India conducted delimitation exercises in 1952, 1963, and 1973. However, in 1976, the process was frozen through the 42nd Amendment until the first census after 2000 to encourage population control. As population disparities persisted, the 84th Constitutional Amendment further extended the freeze until the first census after 2026.
In his letter, Stalin said that with the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation exercise, originally expected after the 2031 census, could take place much earlier than anticipated.
“This acceleration gives us very little time to protect our interests. The question is no longer if delimitation will happen, but when and whether it will honour the contributions of the State that have advanced our nation’s priorities,” he said in his letter to the CMs and former CMs.
Stating that he was not against the delimitation process itself, Stalin in his letter said that he was opposed to weaponising the delimitation process against the states that fulfilled their national duties and are now being punished for it.
“Once implemented, this democratic imbalance could persist for decades, leaving our states with diminished capacity to advocate for our people’s interests, secure rightful resources and influence critical national decisions,” he said in his letter.
Stalin also said that the delimitation process could follow one of two scenarios: either redistributing the existing 543 seats among the states or increasing the total number of seats to over 800.
“In both scenarios, all the states that have successfully implemented population control measures stand to lose significantly if the exercise is based on the post 2026 population. We should not be thus penalised for effectively controlling population growth and upholding national development goals,” he wrote.
He slammed the Union government for offering neither clarity nor a concrete commitment to addressing the concerns of the states.
“Their (Central Government) representatives have vaguely stated that delimitation would follow a ‘pro-rata’ basis, without explaining the base used for such pro-rata calculation as well as raising an empty rhetoric that no State will face a decrease in its seats. When the very foundation of our democracy is at stake, can we accept such vague assurances? When our States’ futures hang in the balance, do we not deserve transparent dialogue?” he questioned.
Stalin argued that the issue goes beyond individual state concerns, as it strikes at the core of federal principles. He urged the CMs and former CMs to assess its constitutional, legal, and political implications and work together to develop alternatives that maintain the current representation in percentage terms.
“Only through a collaborative analysis and unified advocacy, can we hope to secure a delimitation process that honors our role in nation building without compromising our current level of representation in percentage terms,” he said in his letter.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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