From delimitation to Mekedatu : What southern CMs raised at Shah's council meet

Union home minister Amit Shah chaired the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Kovalam near Chennai on Thursday, with chief ministers of the five southern states taking part in discussions on inter-state and Centre-state issues.

Shah chairs the meeting at Kovalam
The council met at a seaside resort on the outskirts of Chennai, with Shah presiding as chairman. Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay, the council's vice chairman, felicitated him at the start of proceedings.

Vijay's first meeting with Shah as CM
Vijay had called on Shah on Wednesday night, described by officials as a courtesy visit and his first interaction with the home minister since taking charge as chief minister.

Shivakumar demands 1971 census basis for delimitation
Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar urged the council to adopt a resolution asking the Centre to use the 1971 census, not a more recent count, as the basis for the delimitation exercise.

Push to freeze Lok Sabha strength at 543
Shivakumar asked the council to seek a freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats at the existing 543 for the next 25 years, arguing the South's political voice should not shrink because of its population control record.

Women's reservation within existing seats
He linked the delimitation issue to women's reservation, saying its rollout should not be delayed for a fresh population count and that quotas should be accommodated within the current 543 seats.

Mekedatu project raised
Shivakumar flagged the long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, saying it would benefit farmers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as well as Karnataka. He said Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu had raised the Cauvery dispute with him informally on the way into the meeting.

Tamil Nadu's opposition to Mekedatu remains
Tamil Nadu, seated next to Karnataka during the session, has consistently opposed the reservoir, saying it would affect the state's share of Cauvery waters.

Vijay and Satheesan hold sideline talks
Tamil Nadu's Vijay and Kerala CM VD Satheesan held a separate interaction on the sidelines of the meeting, with Kerala minister PK Kunhalikutty also present. Satheesan also raised the Mullaperiyar dam issue at the council session, offering Tamil Nadu its full share of water from a new dam, with Tamil Nadu managing design, location and construction while Kerala bears the cost.

Shivakumar's other sideline meetings
Ahead of the main session, Shivakumar met Kerala's CM, Telangana deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Telangana agriculture minister Thummala Nageswara Rao and Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge to discuss shared regional priorities.

Council's mandate and Shah's onward visit
The Southern Zonal Council covers Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana along with Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, and serves as a forum to resolve Centre-state and inter-state disputes, including water sharing rows in the region.