Stalin raises delimitation, says PM Modi must allay fears
He said 22 parties from seven states had formed a ‘Joint Action Committee on Fair Delimitation’ and had written to the PM, requesting a meeting on the issue. “I expect the Prime Minister to schedule a meeting soon,” Stalin said.
Stalin, after inaugurating a slew of projects and announcing new schemes to the popular tourist spot here, said he has sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to present the memorandum on the concerns surrounding the proposed delimitation. (Express File Photo)
Raising the delimitation issue once again on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday called it a “grand conspiracy” and said the PM should “allay the legitimate fears” of the people of the state.
Stalin was speaking in Udhagamandalam, where he inaugurated some government projects including the new Udhagamandalam Government Medical College and Hospital. He said he had informed beforehand that he would not be attending the Pamban event, where Modi inaugurated the country’s first vertical lift sea bridge, and deputed senior ministers Thangam Thennarasu and R S Rajakannappan instead.
“I urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allay the legitimate fears of the people of Tamil Nadu and other southern states that the next delimitation exercise would not lead to fewer parliamentary seats for these states… This is a concern not just about reduced parliamentary seats but also about our rights and future well-being,” he said.
“So what they are doing now is conspiring to reduce the number of parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu… Tamil Nadu was the first state to raise its voice against the grand conspiracy being planned in the name of delimitation,” Stalin said.
He said 22 parties from seven states had formed a ‘Joint Action Committee on Fair Delimitation’ and had written to the PM, requesting a meeting on the issue. “I expect the Prime Minister to schedule a meeting soon,” Stalin said.
Speaking at a separate event on Sunday, Stalin also raised the NEET issue (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to medical colleges) and questioned AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s stand on this.
“I dare Palaniswami to get an assurance from the BJP that Tamil Nadu will be exempted from NEET before he enters into an alliance with them,” Stalin said, responding to Palaniswami’s recent statement on the DMK’s “historical responsibility” for NEET-related student deaths.
“As far as I recall, NEET was not introduced in Tamil Nadu during the tenure of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. It was not even introduced during the tenure of the AIADMK’s J Jayalalithaa, but only when Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam were at the helm as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister,” Stalin said.
He pointed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement that, if elected, a Congress-led government would allow states to opt out of NEET. “I want Palaniswami to first get such an assurance from the Union Government before he allies with the BJP,” he said.
Stalin also targeted the AIADMK on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill which was passed by Parliament. While DMK MPs A Raja and Tiruchi N Siva spoke for 30 and 20 minutes respectively, opposing the Bill in Parliament, AIADMK’s M Thambidurai “only spoke for one minute on the issue, without offering any clarity on whether the party supported or opposed the Bill,” he said.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
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