Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Opposes Delimitation Based On 2011 Census, Calls Move Inconsistent And Politically Motivated

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday opposed the reported move by the Union Government to undertake a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, calling it inconsistent with its earlier commitments and raising concerns over its timing.

Deviation from Framework

Referring to recent media reports, Stalin said the proposed approach deviates from the framework outlined in the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023, which had linked the implementation of key electoral reforms, including women’s reservation, to a delimitation exercise based on the first Census conducted after 2026. He suggested that altering this position could be politically motivated, particularly in the context of upcoming Assembly elections in several States.

The Chief Minister also questioned the timing of the reported move, pointing out that the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force. He termed the move “unprecedented,” arguing that pushing such a significant electoral exercise during an active election period raises serious concerns.

Support for Women’s Reservation

At the same time, Stalin reiterated his support for women’s reservation, stating that as president of the DMK, he remains committed to the principles of women’s empowerment championed by the Dravidian movement. However, he emphasised that any delimitation process must be fair and should not disturb the existing proportional representation of States.

Reaffirming his party’s long-standing stance, Stalin called for constitutional safeguards to ensure that the current share of representation among States remains unchanged for at least the next 30 years. He stressed that delimitation and redistribution of constituencies must be carried out in a manner that protects States from losing their existing representation.

Given the prevailing election climate, Stalin urged the Union government to convene a special session of Parliament in early June to deliberate on these issues. He proposed that such a session take up constitutional amendments addressing delimitation, an increase in the number of seats, protection of States’ representation, and a long-term guarantee to preserve the current balance.