Delimitation Row: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Backs Stalin’s Chennai Meet Against Centre's Move

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Friday expressed his support and solidarity with the conference being organised by his Tamil Nadu counterpart and DMK supremo, M K Stalin, in Chennai against the "unilateral parliamentary constituency delimitation attempt" by the BJP-led central government.

Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka governments, opposition BRS in Telangana, former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, and former Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRCP had earlier confirmed their participation in a meeting convened by Stalin on March 22. Kerala had kept silent and was seen as wavering.

But now Kerala too has joined the group that is seen as the coming together of political parties in the South and a show of Opposition unity against ‘delimitation’. Few analysts have also described the move as the first baby steps in a south vs north tussle and Stalin appears to be emerging as the voice that binds the non-BJP parties on the issue.

Pinarayi Friday issued a statement titled "Constituency Delimitation: Unity Against the Unilateral Move", after Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and MP Dr Tamizhachi Thangapandian personally met him to extend Stalin’s invitation for the conference.

"As the central government rushes to redefine Lok Sabha constituencies, disregarding the values of democracy and federalism, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has invited the Kerala Chief Minister to an all-party solidarity conference in Chennai. The Chief Minister expressed his solidarity with the conference, which is scheduled to be held in Chennai on the 22nd of this month, and with the stance taken on the issue," the statement said.

Sources said that Pinarayi may not attend the conference and may depute a senior minister to represent Kerala.