Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay moved a resolution in the Assembly on Wednesday against the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, whilst firmly backing women’s reservation and urging the central government to implement it within the existing 543 seats. The TVK chief warned that the representation of southern states such as Tamil Nadu, which have successfully implemented population-control measures, could be severely impacted if delimitation is carried out on the basis of population.
The resolution comes amid the central government’s renewed push to secure support for the delimitation bill, which it has linked to the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament and state assemblies. Over the past week, there has been widespread speculation that the Centre might table the constitutional amendment bill during the final two days of the Monsoon session.
The TVK resolution contained three primary demands: permanently maintain the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats, make the current seat allocation for each state permanent, and guarantee a 33 per cent reservation for women in state assemblies.
Vijay stated that if the delimitation bill passes, representation for southern states that successfully implemented population control will inevitably suffer, making it essential to freeze the numbers.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed lifting the freeze on expanding the number of Lok Sabha seats, was defeated by a united opposition when tabled in April. That bill had sought to redraw constituencies based on the 2011 Census. Tamil Nadu and neighbouring southern states have consistently argued that linking delimitation to population metrics unfairly favours the northern regions, where population growth has been significantly higher.
Underlining that southern states had strictly adhered to population-control policies, the Chief Minister also called for maintaining the existing 2.2:1 ratio between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha representation. He also asked the people in the Assembly to pass the resolution unanimously, with the interests of Tamil Nadu coming first and foremost.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister also urged the Centre to implement the bill on women’s reservation immediately. Making a pointed dig at the BJP government, Vijay noted that while the bill was already passed by the parliament, its implementation was still delayed, which meant that women were being deprived of their rights.
As Vijay started his speech by giving an insight into himself, he explained that his personal experience and present position were due to the women of his family. Considering the fact that there is a higher number of female voters in Tamil Nadu compared to the male voters, he highlighted the need for equal political rights and reservation for them. He further added that respect is earned by a nation when it respects women, considering the contributions made by the women of Tamil Nadu throughout history to the freedom movement.
Whereas, while the Left parties backed the resolution by the government of TVK, BJP opposed it. The DMK on the other hand maintained its age-old stance against delimitation.
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