Chennai: Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s attempt to build a common political position on the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies faced a setback, with the AIADMK, DMK and DMDK deciding to stay away from a consultative meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs scheduled in Chennai Saturday.
The meeting, convened by the Tamil Nadu government, will be held at Kalaivanar Arangam at 3 p.m., with CM Vijay presiding.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu have been invited to discuss the possible consequences of the proposed delimitation exercise for the State’s representation in Parliament.
The consultation comes amid an intensifying political debate over delimitation and concerns among southern states about how parliamentary seats would be redistributed.
The issue has also assumed significance during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. Invitations were sent to MPs through the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi as the State government sought to bring representatives together to discuss the implications of the exercise.
However, the initiative has failed to secure participation from some major Opposition parties.
AIADMK MPs are expected to stay away from the meeting. Senior party MPs, including Thambidurai and Inbadurai, are currently in New Delhi.
The DMK has also announced a boycott, describing the consultation as a political exercise by the CM Vijay government.
The party maintained that its position on delimitation remained unchanged and said it would decide its stand on any legislation only after it is formally placed before Parliament.
Senior DMK leader R.S. Bharathi had said Friday that the party would examine the provisions of the proposed legislation before deciding whether to support or oppose it.
The DMDK has similarly decided not to participate, with party MP Sudheesh expected to skip the meeting.
Makkal Needhi Maiam is also unlikely to be represented as its Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan is reportedly in the United States.
The proposed delimitation framework has become contentious because of concerns that states which successfully controlled population growth could be disadvantaged if representation is determined primarily by population.
Under proposals being discussed, the strength of the Lok Sabha could rise substantially from the existing 543 elected seats. One projection would increase Tamil Nadu’s representation from 39 to about 59 seats while broadly retaining its present proportional share in the House.
Saturday’s meeting is expected to examine these concerns and formulate the Tamil Nadu government’s position on the issue.
