Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Thursday raised a series of questions over the proposed delimitation process and the timing of a special parliamentary session, alleging a lack of transparency by the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, Stalin said the Centre must respond to “fair and pressing questions raised by the people of the South” and cautioned against decisions that could affect the political representation of southern states.
Referring to the delimitation exercise, Stalin questioned why the Union government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were “shrouding the entire delimitation process in secrecy instead of coming clean on how it intends to carry it out.” He also invoked the precedent set by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, noting that in 2001 the exercise was deferred for 25 years “in the national interest,” and asked what the current government’s response was to demands from southern states for a similar approach.
Stalin further questioned the urgency behind convening a special session of Parliament during an ongoing election period, asking, “What is the tearing hurry to convene a special session of Parliament right in the middle of five state elections?” He also raised concerns over the Centre’s decision to proceed despite requests from Opposition leaders to delay the session, stating, “Why is the Union Government brushing aside the fair and reasoned demand of Opposition leaders to hold the special session only after April 29? What is it trying to hide?”
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister alleged that pushing through “far reaching constitutional amendments without even convening an all party consultation is nothing short of dictatorship.” He added that “the questions raised by the Opposition and the media are not being answered” and asked whether “at least the questions of the people” would receive a response.
Stalin asserted that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) would oppose any move that could undermine the rights of southern states. “The DMK will not stand by and watch any attempt that places the rights of southern states at stake while handing greater power to the North,” he said, adding that “any decision taken without our consent, without even engaging with us, will not be accepted, come what may.”
His remarks come amid renewed discussions on delimitation following legislative developments linked to the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament and the potential redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies.
Notably, Union Cabinet have approved the proposal to amend the Constitution to enable the early rollout of a 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The proposed legislation is also expected to provide for a significant increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha, from the current 543 seats to 816, with 273 seats likely to be reserved for women. The Bill is expected to be taken up for discussion and passage when Parliament reconvenes for the second phase of the Budget Session on April 16.
