The proposed delimitation exercise by the Centre was not just a numbers game but a planned attack on the non-BJP ruled states to reduce their representation in the Parliament, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said on Saturday.

Addressing the first Joint Action Committee meeting on Fair Delimitation convened by Chief Minister M K Stalin here, he said more seats for states with higher birth rates meant the voices from the south in the Parliament getting weakened.

“If not rewarded, we should at least not be penalised. This move is a direct threat to the federal structure. So, we must act quickly, and we must act together. We must demand an extension of the freeze on Lok Sabha seats based on 1971 census beyond 2026,” he said.

Further, the states that would be affected by the delimitation exercise should insist that the current proportionate representation of each state in the Lok Sabha be maintained, regardless of whether the number of seats was increased or not.

“This is not just about any one state it is about the future of democracy in India. So, let us stand together. Let us raise our voices. Let us fight for a fair delimitation process that protects our representation and ensures justice for future generations,” Udhayanidhi said.

He said the Tamil Nadu chief minister had convened this meeting at a very crucial time when the rights and voices of the non-BJP ruled states were under real threat. The delimitation would unfairly increase the representation for some states, while reducing our current representation, giving undue advantage to a few states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. While the 7 states were set to gain 65 seats, the above four states would get additional 150 seats.

“National policies on agriculture, industries, jobs, and regional development could be dictated by a few states, sidelining our needs. The formation of Union Government would be disproportionately influenced by a few states, significantly weakening the political voice of our states. Therefore, we call this as unfair and unjust move by the union government,” Udhayanidhi said.

The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah made contradictory statements on delimitation, creating a lot of confusion.

“In September 2023, the Union Home Minister said in Parliament that the delimitation process would be implemented and seats would be increased. However, the Prime Minister, addressing an election rally in Telangana in 2023, said that if the delimitation exercise was implemented, southern states would lose around 100 seats,” he said.

And on his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, Amit Shah claimed that Tamil Nadu would not be affected by this delimitation exercise.

“Therefore, the question now is: will the freeze be extended or not? Will the number of seats remain the same or increase? If increased, what will be the number? On what basis, the seats will be distributed among the states. Whether it will be done as per the 1971 census, or the proposed projected 2026 census?” he asked.