Tamil Nadu Assembly Passes Resolution Against Constituency Redelimitation
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution opposing constituency redelimitation, introduced by Chief Minister Vijay. The resolution was carried through a voice vote, with support from DMK, Congress, Left parties, VCK, IUML, and others, while AIADMK, BJP, and PMK opposed it.
Government’s Position:
CM Vijay argued that Tamil Nadu must not be disadvantaged by redelimitation.
DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin reaffirmed support for 33% reservation for women and insisted that Tamil Nadu’s representation should remain intact.
Opposition Criticism:
AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused the government of bringing the resolution for political reasons, noting that the Union Government has not yet tabled a redelimitation bill in Parliament.
DMDK MLA Premalatha Vijayakanth questioned the basis of the resolution without a central draft.
PMK MLA Ganesh Kumar cited Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier clarification and rejected the resolution.
BJP MLA Bojarajan argued that redelimitation is necessary for democratic change and accused the government of resisting reform.
Supportive Voices:
VCK Minister Vanniyarasu supported the resolution, warning that Tamil Nadu’s MP count could decrease while northern states like Uttar Pradesh gain more seats, strengthening their political dominance.
CPI(M) MLA Sellasamy and CPI members backed the resolution, stressing that constituency numbers should not be altered without broad consultation.
IUML Minister Shajahan criticized BJP’s approach, saying it ignored the people’s voice and supported the resolution.
Outcome:
Despite opposition from AIADMK, BJP, and PMK, the resolution was passed by voice vote.
Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar announced its adoption, marking a significant political stand by Tamil Nadu against potential changes in parliamentary representation.
DMDK’s stance remained unclear, while most other parties aligned with the DMK-led government.
