In MK Stalin's Delimitation Push, A "Sword Of Damocles" Warning From Ally

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin hosted the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) on delimitation in Chennai today. The event, attended by leaders from multiple states, marked the beginning of what Mr Stalin described as a "national movement" to ensure fair representation in Parliament. The meeting also drew criticism from the BJP, which accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of diverting attention from domestic governance issues under the guise of a political struggle.

Push For "Fair Delimitation"

At the heart of the controversy lies the impending parliamentary seat delimitation exercise, which is expected to follow the next national census. According to current projections, southern states - including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana - stand to lose representation in Parliament due to their success in population control. In contrast, northern states with higher population growth could gain seats.

Addressing the JAC meeting, Mr Stalin said that the movement was not against delimitation itself but against an unfair implementation of it. "We are not against delimitation; we are for fair delimitation," he declared. He proposed forming a legal expert committee to chart out a comprehensive legal strategy to challenge the process if needed. "Continuous action is essential to establish our rights. Our representation must not decline," he said.

The committee released a seven-point resolution on delimitation. 

"Any delimitation exercise carried out by the Union Government to improve the content and character of democracy should be carried out transparently, enabling political parties of all the States, State Governments and other stakeholders to deliberate, discuss and contribute in it," one of the resolutions read.

"The States which have effectively implemented the population control program and consequently whose population share has come down, should not be penalised. The Union Government must enact necessary constitutional amendments for this purpose."

Pinarayi Vijayan's Warning

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in his address, likened the delimitation proposal to the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over the southern states. 

The "Sword of Damocles" is an ancient Roman moral parable about a king named Dionysius who wanted to show that power comes with constant anxiety. He let a man named Damocles sit in his place and enjoy the luxury of being king - but hung a sharp sword above his head by a single strand of horsehair. 

Photo Credit: PTI

Mr Vijayan accused the BJP of pursuing the exercise based on "narrow political interests".

"This sudden move is not driven by Constitutional principles or democratic imperatives," he said. 

Trinamool's Absence

The JAC meeting saw participation from leaders across states, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, among others.

Mr Shivakumar said that South India had long upheld national interests through strict adherence to population control and literacy efforts. "We cannot let our seats be reduced. Economically and in terms of literacy, we have consistently led the way," he said.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the parties will take the issue "up to the Delhi level" and that the next meeting will be organised in Hyderabad. "A closed-door meeting and a public meeting will be organised... We want to make the public aware of this issue," Mr Reddy said. 

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee, which had backed the DMK on its delimitation stance, did not attend the meeting. 

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik attended the meeting virtually. 

'Delimitation based only on population figures will be unfair to the
states who have worked hard to reduce their population growth rates in line with national priorities," he said in a video message. 

BJP's Counterattack

As the JAC meeting proceeded, the BJP staged a black flag protest outside the venue, with its leaders alleging that the event was a smokescreen to cover up governance failures in opposition-ruled states.

Former Telangana Governor and senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan described the meeting as a "corruption-hiding" exercise. 

"The concerned Chief Ministers who are attending the meeting are doing so to hide the misgovernance in the concerned states. There are so many corruption charges in Telangana, Kerala. Their own people will be against their Chief Ministers attending this event," she claimed. "Instead of calling this a delimitation meeting, it can be called corruption hiding meeting." 

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai echoed these sentiments, accusing Mr Stalin of "manufacturing a political crisis" to distract from domestic concerns. "The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has never gone to Kerala to speak with them and solve the issues, but today, he has invited the Kerala Chief Minister to talk about an artificial issue which he has created," he claimed. 

"DK Shivakumar is plotting his move against Siddaramaiah. That is the reason for him to come running to Tamil Nadu to show that he is a Pan-India leader and Siddaramaiah is a regional leader," he added. 

Constitutional Ramifications

The 42nd and 84th Constitutional Amendments froze the delimitation process until 2026 to ensure that states controlling population growth were not penalised. With the deadline approaching, southern states fear a reduction in their representation.

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged caution, urging that no state should lose representation.

"Request for the delimitation exercise to be conducted in such a manner that no state would have to endure any reduction in its representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, in terms of its share in total no. (number) of seats in the house," said Jagan Mohan Reddy in his letter to the PM.