CHENNAI: The DMK fully supports 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, but the quota should be provided based on the present strength of the Lower House without linking it to delimitation, said Rajya Sabha floor leader for DMK Tiruchi Siva on Sunday.
He was addressing a joint press conference with party treasurer and Lok Sabha floor leader for DMK T R Baalu in Delhi after attending the customary all-party meeting convened ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on Monday.
Tiruchi Siva also urged the centre to come out with a clear formula on how it plans to implement it. He said the delimitation exercise should not adversely affect the southern states and sought greater clarity from the government. “If it affects the southern states, it should be put in abeyance for 25 years,” he added.
In the all-party meeting, Baalu had raised these issues, the details of which were disclosed in the press meet by Tiruchi Siva. In the Parliament session, Baalu said the party would strongly raise issues concerning Tamil Nadu including the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, the Mekedatu project, women’s reservation and higher education reforms in both Houses.
On delimitation, Baalu said the union government had neither shared a draft Bill nor explained how the exercise would be carried out. He said the DMK would oppose any move that reduced the representation of southern states in Parliament.
Recalling that former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had postponed delimitation to protect the states that had successfully controlled population growth, Baalu said a similar approach should continue.
He warned that increasing seats purely on the basis of population would weaken the voice of southern states in Parliament. The DMK would also demand a tribunal to examine the Mekedatu project.
The party would oppose the proposed Higher Education Commission Bill, alleging that it would centralise powers with the centre. In a significant statement, Baalu said the DMK has also decided not to participate in the INDIA bloc meetings attended by the Congress.
Opposition to FCRA BILL
Chennai: The DMK has also expressed its opposition to the inclusion of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Parliament session beginning on Monday. In a post on X, Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson said the party raised its objection during the Lok Sabha Business Advisory Committee meeting held in New Delhi on Sunday. He said stakeholders and religious institutions affected by the draconian FCRA Bill have not been consulted so far