Lok Sabha delimitation: Amit Shah allays fears, says no southern state will lose seats
On Tuesday, Stalin said that Tamil Nadu’s successful implementation of family planning policies had placed it at a disadvantage.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that none of the states from southern India, including Tamil Nadu, will see a reduction in parliamentary representation, a day after TN chief minister MK Stalin said a “sword was dangling over the state” over the uncertainty if delimitation is implemented based on population Census.
“CM (Stalin) and his son (Udhayanidhi Stalin) are trying to mislead the people of Tamil Nadu by raking up some issues. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has made it clear in Parliament that the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies based on population levels, on pro-rata basis, will not alter the proportion of Lok Sabha members from southern states,” Shah said.
He assured that if there is any increase in seats during delimitation, southern states will get equal share. The home minister made the statements while addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Coimbatore, where he inaugurated a party office.
Shah further targeted the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Tamil Nadu government of allowing a free run to the anti-national elements, drug smugglers and illegal mining mafia in the state.
On Tuesday, Stalin said that Tamil Nadu’s successful implementation of family planning policies had placed it at a disadvantage. “If delimitation is implemented based on population census, Tamil Nadu will lose eight MPs. This will lead to Tamil Nadu losing representation in Parliament,” Stalin said.
“As the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, I bring to everyone’s attention that the Lok Sabha delimitation exercise based on the 2026 Census is extremely dangerous. Southern states like Tamil Nadu have done a great job in controlling population growth. But if that is the reason why our strength in Parliament will decrease, if it can suppress our voice, how can it be justified?” Stalin asked in a post on X.
He has called an all-party meeting on March 5 to deliberate on the implications of constituency delimitation, which he described as a sword dangling over Tamil Nadu.
Accusing Stalin of lying to the people of Tamil Nadu, Shah said that the CM should give a reply now after his assurance.
“Anti-national tendencies are at its peak (in Tamil Nadu). The funeral procession of the mastermind (referring to SA Basha) of 1998 bombings (serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore on February 14, 1998, in which 58 people were killed) was provided security by Tamil Nadu government,” Shah said, attacking the state government on the issues of law and order, corruption and governance.
“The drug mafia is having a free run in the state and the illegal mining mafia has corrupted politics,” Shah said.
Accusing DMK of giving membership to corrupt leaders, Shah said Stalin’s party leaders are involved in money laundering, disproportionate assets cases, sand mining and even the 2G scam.
“Sometimes it feels that all the corrupt individuals have been selected by the DMK during its membership drive,” Shah said.
Shah claimed that the National Democratic Alliance will form a government in the state in 2026, “with a majority even bigger than Maharashtra and Haryana”.
