Tamil Nadu assembly debates delimitation, 'freeze' term not used
What's the story
The Tamil Nadu Assembly was rocked by a heated debate between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the ruling TVK over the state's position on delimitation. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin slammed Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for not using "freeze" at a recent zonal meeting, despite an assembly resolution to maintain Lok Sabha seats at 543. "The TVK government passed a resolution in this House to freeze total Lok Sabha seats at 543," he said.
Government's defense
Minister accuses DMK of flip-flopping
Minister Adhav Arjuna defended the government's position, saying there was no change on delimitation.
He accused the DMK of changing its stance over time, implying that asking for "fair delimitation" would betray Tamil Nadu.
"If they ask only for fair delimitation, it would be a betrayal to Tamil Nadu," he said.
The minister also reiterated that the state's 7.18% representation in Parliamentary seats should be maintained amid talks of a 50% increase across all states.
Party perspectives
AIADMK, BJP MLAs weigh in on delimitation debate
AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami also stressed the need for Tamil Nadu to retain its 7.18% share post-delimitation.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Bhola Rajan argued that delimitation would benefit the state by increasing its share.
This debate comes after Vijay urged the Union Government to assure no state would lose representation under the proposed Delimitation Bill, 2026.
He cautioned against population-based delimitation affecting Southern states and sought legislative assurance from the government.