Tamil Nadu: Stalin Urges PM Modi To Base Delimitation On 1971 Census; BJP And Ally Skip All-Party Meet, Accuse DMK Of Diversion Tactics

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday (5 March), bringing together leaders from across the political spectrum—including rival AIADMK—to discuss concerns over ‘Hindi imposition’ and the contentious delimitation process, as reported by NDTV.

During the meeting, Stalin tabled a resolution urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that if delimitation—the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies—is conducted, it should be based on the 1971 census rather than the current population levels.

The resolution demanded that this arrangement be retained for another 30 years, emphasising that states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully controlled population growth through welfare measures, should not be penalised in terms of reduced parliamentary representation.

The resolution further called for a constitutional amendment to protect proportional representation for all states, even if the total number of MPs in the Lok Sabha is increased.

While most major Tamil Nadu parties participated in the meeting, five opposition parties—including the BJP and its ally, Tamil Manila Congress (M)—chose to stay away.

Notably, actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam attended the meeting

The resolution referenced a 2000 commitment by then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who assured that delimitation would be based on the 1971 census to encourage family planning policies across states. 

Stalin stressed that PM Modi should provide a similar assurance for the next 30 years to ensure that states that have successfully controlled population growth are not unfairly punished.

"Tamil Nadu is not against delimitation. However, this meeting requests that delimitation shouldn't be punishment to a state that has implemented various social welfare schemes...," the resolution stated, as quoted by NDTV.

The meeting also proposed the formation of a joint action committee, comprising MPs from Tamil Nadu and other southern states, to raise awareness about the impact of delimitation. The committee aims to ensure that the issue gains national attention and receives wider political support.