DMK Ties Vijay's Delimitation Meeting Support To Centre's Mekedatu Project Approval

A day before Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's scheduled consultation with Members of Parliament on the proposed delimitation exercise, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has called on the state government to first convene an all-party meeting on the long-pending Mekedatu dam and Cauvery water dispute. The demand adds a fresh political dimension to the Chief Minister's outreach as parties prepare to discuss one of the state's most sensitive political and constitutional issues.

The Chief Minister's meeting with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu is scheduled to be held at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai on August 8. The consultation is aimed at gathering the views of parliamentarians on the Centre's renewed push for the Delimitation Bill. The exercise is expected to shape Tamil Nadu's collective response as discussions on parliamentary constituency boundaries gather momentum at the national level.

Responding to the invitation, the DMK said it had no objection to participating in the deliberations on delimitation. However, the party insisted that the state government should first address what it described as an equally pressing issue by convening an all-party meeting on Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery River. According to the party, Tamil Nadu's interests in the long-running river water dispute require immediate political attention before any discussion on delimitation.

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The Mekedatu project has remained a contentious issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for several years. Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the proposed balancing reservoir, arguing that it could affect the state's share of Cauvery water, particularly for irrigation and drinking water needs in the delta region. Karnataka, meanwhile, has maintained that the project is intended primarily to supply drinking water and generate hydroelectric power. The dispute has frequently triggered political exchanges and legal proceedings, making it one of the most significant inter-state water issues in southern India.

The demand from the DMK comes as the Centre continues consultations with political parties over the proposed Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Women's Reservation Amendment. Delimitation involves redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituency boundaries based on population data, a process that has generated concerns among several southern states. Leaders from Tamil Nadu have repeatedly argued that states which successfully implemented population control measures should not face reduced political representation as a consequence of demographic changes.

With the consultation scheduled for August 8, attention will now be on whether the Tamil Nadu government responds to the DMK's demand for an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu issue before the delimitation discussions begin. The outcome could influence the tone of the meeting and shape the state's unified position on both the proposed delimitation exercise and the continuing Cauvery water dispute, two issues that carry significant political and administrative implications for Tamil Nadu.

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