Stalin calls for all-party meet on delimitation, says ready for ‘major war’ on TN rights

The fear in the state is that the proposed delimitation – slated to be held after the Census, delayed since 2021, is conducted – could affect Tamil Nadu if the number of the overall Lok Sabha constituencies is not increased.

Stalin called it “a sword hanging over the head of South India”. “Tamil Nadu, being one of the best in all development indicators, is going to be affected severely in this process,” he said, noting that states that have managed to control their population rates could lose out in a delimitation exercise that uses the number of people as the sole criterion for deciding constituencies.

“We have had huge successes in family planning efforts over several decades,” he said. “But this achievement… we fear, will affect at least eight constituencies in the state.” Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies at present, ranking it fifth among states.

“It is not just about the number of seats but also about the rights of the state,” Stalin said. “The voice of Tamil Nadu will be suppressed in the name of delimitation.”

viting all parties in the state, including arch-rival AIADMK, for talks on the issue, the CM said: “Transcending political differences, every party and leader will come together and raise our voice at the meeting.” There are 40 registered political parties in Tamil Nadu, and a joint meeting will be a rare show of unity in a state known for its sharp political divides.

Stalin’s remarks on delimitation reflect an apprehension shared by all southern states, which are ahead of their northern counterparts in development indices, including in meeting family planning goals.

“A democratic process should not penalise states that have successfully managed population growth, led in development, and made significant contributions to national progress,” Stalin said. “We need a fair, transparent, and equitable approach that upholds true federalism.”

Article 82 of the Indian Constitution mandates a delimitation exercise after every decennial Census, to adjust the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies based on population. A Constitutional Amendment in 1971 froze this until 2026, and it is likely to be further delayed now as the process to conduct the Census has not yet started.

Stalin added that a delimitation exercise leaving Tamil Nadu with fewer parliamentary seats would be another move by the BJP-led Centre to curtail the state’s autonomy and rights. “The Union government is discriminating against Tamil Nadu and attempting to curb the state’s autonomy by curtailing funds for centrally sponsored schemes,” he said, referring to recent threats by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the Stalin government’s objections to the National Education Policy (NEP).

Before the NEP, the DMK government and the Centre crossed swords over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college examinations, which too was defined by Tamil Nadu parties as part of a broader agenda to “undermine” the state’s educational and cultural autonomy.

Stalin linked these issues too to delimitation, saying that whether these pass Parliament would also come down to the number of MPs the state has.

On the other hot topic, of the third language to be taught in schools, the CM was asked whether the state’s opposition to the Central government’s “push” for Hindi in schools meant it was ready for another “language war”. Stalin said Tamil Nadu was.

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