CHENNAI: The DMK on Wednesday supported the resolution seeking to retain the Lok Sabha’s strength at 543 seats based on the 1971 Census. Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said Tamil Nadu’s existing share of 7.18% of the total seats should be protected and the delimitation exercise should be frozen for the next 25 years. “Our stand has always been that Tamil Nadu should not be affected by delimitation,” he said.
He recalled that the Assembly passed a resolution opposing the proposed delimitation exercise during the previous DMK regime. Then chief minister MK Stalin had also convened an all-party meeting to oppose the proposal, Udhayanidhi said.
“We resolved that if delimitation is carried out on the basis of the population census, southern states will be affected. Therefore, we decided that the delimitation exercise should be postponed for another 25 years,” Udhayanidhi said in the Assembly on Wednesday and added, “The DMK supports 33% reservation for women and that the state’s present 7.18% share in Parliament, based on the 1971 census, should not be reduced.”
Former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami said the AIADMK supports only the clause in the resolution that demands 33% reservation for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha election.
“Tamil Nadu’s share based on the 1971 population is 7.18%. On April 16, the Union Home Minister said the state’s current share would increase to 7.21% if the number of Lok Sabha seats was increased by 50%, giving Tamil Nadu 59 seats,” he said.
DMDK MLA Premalatha Vijayakanth, opposing the resolution, said, “If the number of LS seats is increased to 815 and 33% reservation is implemented, 259 women could become MPs.”
‘PM FROM SOUTH’
Chennai: Minister Aadhav Arjuna said a prime minister should emerge from Southern India, particularly from Tamil Nadu. Addressing the Assembly during the discussion on the resolution opposing delimitation, Aadhav said power should not remain concentrated only in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar