An all-party meeting convened under the leadership of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to maintain the current number of Lok Sabha seats for the next 30 years. The resolution strongly opposed any delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on population, warning that such a move would disproportionately impact Tamil Nadu and other southern States that have successfully implemented population control measures.
The meeting was organised in response to the impending parliamentary constituency reorganisation scheduled for 2026. In his opening speech, Chief Minister Stalin highlighted the potential reduction of Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha seats from 39 to 31 if delimitation is carried out strictly based on the latest population data. He asserted that any decrease in representation would not only weaken Tamil Nadu’s political voice but also undermine the State’s rights within the federal structure.
Parliamentary representation
“It is entirely unjust to reduce the parliamentary representation of southern States, including Tamil Nadu, simply because they have effectively implemented population control measures for the nation’s benefit. To ensure fairness and encourage all States to adopt population control, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had assured in 2000 that parliamentary constituencies would continue to be delimited based on the 1971 census. This assurance should now be extended for another 30 years through a constitutional amendment,” according to a resolution passed in the meeting.
The resolution passed at the meeting called on the Union Government to extend the existing delimitation freeze, last assured in 2000, for another three decades. It also urged that if the total number of parliamentary seats is increased, the southern States should be allotted additional seats in proportion to their current representation based on the 1971 population figures.
The all-party meeting clarified that Tamil Nadu is not opposed to the constituency reorganization process but insisted that it should not be carried out in a manner that penalises States that have prioritised social and economic welfare over population growth. The resolution further proposed forming a Joint Action Committee with representatives from parties across southern States to take the issue forward and raise public awareness.
