New Delhi [India], March 10 : Amid the delimitation row, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Tiruchi Siva on Monday urged the Central government to find an alternative to the delimitation exercise and asserted that southern states should not be adversely affected.
"The delimitation exercise is due to be done in 2026. As per the constitution, it has to be done under the population. Earlier in the 42nd Amendment and the 84th Amendment, it was decided to have it after 25 years because the birth control progress has to be noted. If the delimitation exercise is done on that basis, all the Southern states will be at a disadvantage, including Tamil Nadu. We are insisting that the government should evolve a way that the Southern states will not be affected by way of this delimitation exercise, and they have to find an alternate way," Tiruchi Siva said.
Speaking to ANI, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva expressed concern over the delimitation exercise saying that if it is done based on population, Tamil Nadu and other states will lose many seats.
"We have a very genuine concern about the delimitation exercise that is due to be done in 2026...the birth control process has not been equal (in north and south)...If it is done based on population, Tamil Nadu and other states will be losing so many seats...we will come down from 39 to 31, Kerala from 20 to 12...some states will get 30-40 more seats, so there won't be fair representation in the Parliament," Tiruchi Siva said.
The DMK MPs have resolved to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests concerning the Lok Sabha seat delimitation issue, emphasising that the population-based exercise would impact not only southern states but also others like Odisha and West Bengal.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called for a united political front against the proposed delimitation exercise, urging various parties to join forces in opposing what he termed a "blatant assault on federalism."
On March 8, Chief Minister Stalin wrote to the Chief Ministers of seven states, both from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruling states and otherwise, to join him in the "fight against this unfair exercise."
He has written to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi, and heads of all political parties in those respective states to join him.
Congress has backed CM Stalin's stance on delimitation. However, the party has not yet confirmed whether they will join the Joint Action Committee meeting meeting on March 22.
Earlier, Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed his fear that if delimitation is conducted, Southern states will lose 26 seats in the Lok Sabha, and their voices will not be heard.
"Delimitation is a serious issue. It was frozen in 1971. A census taken after 2026 will lead to delimitation, followed by re-determination of the seats. According to our calculation, if it is redistributed according to the current population of states, and the state's numbers are changed our southern states which have 129 seats will come down to 103. The five southern states will lose 26 seats, whereas the populous states where population is growing will gain seats, especially UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan," Chidambaram said.