CHENNAI: With the Opposition fragmented and the DMK’s recent exit from the INDIA bloc raising fresh questions about the party’s political position, all eyes are now on whether the Dravidian major would extend support if the centre reintroduces the delimitation bill (Constitution amendment bill) that seeks to increase the total number of Lok Sabha seats to 850.
The centre is learnt to be considering reintroducing the bill, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, with certain modifications, nearly two months after its first attempt was defeated in the Lok Sabha in April.
Although the modifications were not clear, there are speculations that the ruling BJP at the centre would seek the support of the DMK, after it exited the INDIA bloc, and the TMC, which is facing a rebellion within the party in West Bengal.
But the DMK has moved quickly to quell any such speculation. Party deputy general secretary and MP A Raja told TNIE that the party remains “in principle against the delimitation bill in its present format” and would continue to fight for state rights. “Our demands remain the same and we have to see how they bring in a new bill,” Raja said.
A senior DMK leader also made clear that the party’s walk-out from the INDIA bloc should not be read as a political realignment towards the BJP. “We will not align with the BJP just because we walked out of the INDIA bloc,” the leader said, adding that the party remains in touch with Opposition parties and is actively working towards forming a third front.
During the April debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured the Lok Sabha that no injustice would be done to southern states, and that each state’s seat share would be maintained proportionally. Under the previously proposed 816-seat formula he outlined, Tamil Nadu’s seats would increase from 39 to 59. Similar increases were projected for Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
But southern states had refused to accept oral commitment without a statutory guarantee. If the reintroduced bill is not passed, the 2027 Census, with a reference date of March 1, 2027, would automatically trigger a delimitation exercise based on current population figures once notified.
“The primary demand of the DMK is that the delimitation exercise should not be linked to the current population figures, which will amount to punishing the states which actively controlled the population. The population reference should be with 1971, and the centre should extend the freeze for another 25 years,” another DMK MP told TNIE.
The DMK MP also said that the previous bill did not have any details, but just oral assurance from Home Minister Shah. “We have to wait and see how they reintroduce the bill and if they are addressing our prior demands in line with our principle,” the MP added.