Stalin Delimitation Meet: Vijayan, Revanth, Mann Arrive In Chennai, TMC Skips; BJP Calls It ‘Delusional Drama’
Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin will chair a high-level meeting on delimitation. Leaders from Punjab, Telangana, Kerala, and Odisha will discuss concerns over the proposed exercise.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to chair a high-level meeting on delimitation in Chennai on Saturday, March 22, bringing together leaders from multiple states to discuss concerns over the proposed exercise. Leaders from Punjab, Telangana, Kerala, and Odisha have started arriving in Chennai for the deliberations, which Stalin has described as more than just a meeting, calling it the beginning of a movement to ensure fair representation.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and BRS working president K T Rama Rao reached Chennai the day ahead of the meeting.
Speaking upon his arrival, Rama Rao told the media, “History will not forgive us if we remain silent now. This is a critical juncture. Every person who is concerned with the future of this country, with the future politics of this country and the future representation of this country should be voicing their concern, should be opening up and should be talking out loudly.”
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: As BRS working president KT Rama Rao arrives in Chennai for CM MK Stalin-led meeting on Delimitation tomorrow, he says, "History will not forgive us if we remain silent now. This is a critical juncture. Every person who is concerned with the future of this… pic.twitter.com/dlqoHJAxJM
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025
“We are attending the all-party meeting on delimitation called by Tamil Nadu CM. On behalf of our party, we reject this (delimitation). The loss to Telangana due to this includes reduction of representation and reduction of MPs. In future, our part in the Centre will also decrease and so will the funds that we get. This will create a regional power imbalance in all ways. It is not good to reduce the share of states that followed population control. This is injustice. We are objecting to this and thus attending tomorrow's meeting. Definitely, we will make our voices heard loudly,” he further added, as per news agency ANI.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), however, has decided to skip the meeting. A party source quoted by news agency PTI said that the TMC currently prioritises addressing concerns over duplicate voter ID numbers, which it believes could impact upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
Meanwhile, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) nominated senior leaders Sanjay Das Burma and Amar Patnaik to represent Odisha at the deliberations.
“Odisha is among the eight states that have controlled population and significantly contributed to the economic growth of the country. Now, the central government has plans to undertake the delimitation process only on the criteria of population. Therefore, Odisha is likely to be affected,” said Das Burma, as per PTI. He added that the meeting would provide further clarity on whether Odisha would lose parliamentary and assembly seats. “Whatever the case may be, the BJD is committed to fight for the rights of Odisha,” he asserted.
Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das also arrived in the city for the meeting. "This is a great initiative of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin...Most of the southern states and states following family planning like Odisha are concerned about this...The stake of Odisha and southern states will be in danger if this delimitation, with this intention, is passed...We have come here, we will be in the dialogue of this conference. We will contribute our best. On behalf of the Congress party of Odisha, this is our view," he remarked, as quoted by ANI.
MK Stalin Calls Delimitation Meet A 'Movement' To Shape India's Future, BJP Calls It ‘Delusional Drama’
On the eve of the meeting, Stalin welcomed leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab, stating, “This is more than a meeting—it is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country. Together, we will achieve #FairDelimitation.” In a video message, Stalin warned that if Tamil Nadu and other states lost parliamentary representation due to delimitation, it would “strike at the very foundation of federalism, erode democracy, and lead to the compromise of rights.”
A historic day for Indian federalism!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 21, 2025
I extend my warmest welcome to the leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal & Punjab who are joining us for the Joint Action Committee meeting on #FairDelimitation.
The All-Party Meeting on March 5 was… pic.twitter.com/Wra2NmccIA
The BJP has strongly opposed the meeting, with Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai calling it a “delusional drama.” He accused the DMK of spreading misinformation, referencing a controversial speech by state minister T M Anbarasan. Annamalai posted a video clip of the speech, claiming that it contained an insulting comparison regarding population growth in northern states.
Tomorrow, while TN CM Thiru @mkstalin orchestrates his delusional drama on Delimitation, we hope he will play this speech of DMK Minister Thiru TM Anbarasan to his I.N.D.I. Alliance partners.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 21, 2025
It's as if the DMK Ministers have made a collective decision to insult and abuse our… pic.twitter.com/X1jOor9Blv
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Rajya Sabha on March 21, assured that southern states would not lose parliamentary seats, stating, “There have been enough divisions in the nation in the name of language, and it should not happen anymore. Every Indian language is a treasure for the country. Hindi is not in competition with any Indian language, it is only a friend of other languages.”
The delimitation debate has added to the ongoing tussle between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Centre, with issues such as NEET, National Education Policy, and alleged Hindi imposition already causing friction. The recent Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC (state-owned liquor corporation) scam allegations by the Enforcement Directorate have further intensified political rivalries.
Stalin has insisted that the 1971 population should remain the basis for Lok Sabha seat delimitation beyond 2026. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide a formal assurance in Parliament. The JAC is expected to push forward such demands and create public awareness about the potential consequences of delimitation. The all-party meeting on March 5 had stressed that Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation, currently at 7.18%, should not be altered under any circumstances.
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