Chennai Gears Up for Historic Delimitation Meet Today
DMK Gears Up for Historic Joint Action Committee Meet on Delimitation in Chennai
Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is poised to host its inaugural Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Chennai, uniting leaders from seven states to demand fair delimitation ahead of the 2026 exercise. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin hailed it as “more than a meeting—a movement to shape India’s future,” emphasizing federalism’s stakes.
Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), and Bhagwant Singh Mann (Punjab), alongside Shiromani Akali Dal’s Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Indian Union Muslim League’s P.M.A. Salam, arrived in Chennai for the talks. The DMK reached out to Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab, building on a March 5 all-party meet in Tamil Nadu where 58 parties, barring the BJP, rallied for equitable representation.
Stalin, in a video message, warned that a population-based delimitation could slash Tamil Nadu’s 7.18% parliamentary share, undermining federalism and state rights. “This is a defining moment,” he said on X, welcoming the coalition. The JAC aims to amplify this cause nationally, following DMK MPs’ and ministers’ outreach to affected states.
The BJP hit back, with Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai calling it a “delusional drama,” citing a DMK minister’s controversial remarks on northern states’ population growth. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Rajya Sabha on Friday, dismissed Stalin’s claims as misinformation, assuring no southern seat losses and urging unity over linguistic divides.
Amid tensions over NEET, the National Education Policy, and a Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC scam probe, the DMK-BJP rift deepens. Stalin’s push, rooted in a March 5 call to freeze 1971 population-based seats for 30 years, sets the stage for a fierce federal showdown.
