Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly criticised the proposed constituency delimitation exercise and the Centre’s decision to convene a special session of Parliament, raising concerns over transparency and federal balance.
In a post, Stalin questioned the urgency of convening a special session of Parliament between five State elections and asked whether the country was “moving towards dictatorship” on the issue of constituency redelineation. He urged that the concerns of southern States be addressed and cautioned against actions that could disturb regional balance.
The Chief Minister sought clarity from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the proposed delimitation process, stating that the Union Government had not explained how it intended to carry out the exercise. He also referred to the precedent set in 2001 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when delimitation was deferred, and asked whether a similar approach would be considered.
Stalin further questioned the decision to advance the special session without wider consultation, noting that opposition parties had suggested convening it after April 29. He criticised the absence of an all-party meeting on what he described as a significant constitutional matter and said the concerns raised by opposition parties and the public remained unanswered.
Alleging that the move could undermine the rights of southern States, Stalin asserted that his party would oppose any decision taken without consultation. He said the issue had long-term implications for the people and emphasised that the State would not accept any unilateral action.
According to Central Government sources, the special session of Parliament is scheduled from April 16 to 18. During the session, bills are expected to be introduced to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 as part of the delimitation process.
Officials indicated that the proposed increase in seats would facilitate the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, passed in 2023, which mandates reservation of one-third of Lok Sabha seats for women. Under the proposed framework, 273 of the 816 seats would be reserved for women.
