It has been a week of resolutions in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with four of them passed in quick succession. The House approved a resolution favouring the rendering of the state song ahead of the national anthem and national song, and two others opposing NEET pre-medical tests and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill. Amid complaints that the TVK government was trying to calm waters after alleged slips on the Cauvery issue, the resolution taken up on Wednesday—opposing the proposed delimitation—has drawn attention from across the country.
Cries for a ‘fair delimitation’ have now given way to an almost outright ‘no’ to the exercise. Fair delimitation was earlier understood as preserving the status quo in each state’s share of Lok Sabha seats even if the total number rose by half, while continuing to base the allocation on the 1971 Census figures. It meant that if the Lok Sabha were expanded by half, every state’s representation would increase in the same proportion. For instance, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry currently hold 40 seats, or just over 7 percent of the Lok Sabha. Under the 50 percent formula, they would be entitled to 60 seats. However, in a clear departure from this earlier position, the Tamil Nadu resolution has now formally adopted a more unyielding stance: a complete freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543.
The DMK, which has been at the forefront of anti-delimitation protests, supported the TVK-led resolution, while insisting that there was no departure from its earlier demand. However, the Dravidian major’s current advocacy for a permanent freeze on seats is in contrast to its previous call for a further 25-year pause on delimitation. The Congress, meanwhile, has swung from demanding a pro rata increase, then an equal 50 percent expansion for all states, to opposing any delimitation or increase in strength altogether. The Congress, DMK, Left parties, IUML and VCK backed the Tamil Nadu resolution.
The demand for a freeze in Lok Sabha seats may have stemmed from a growing realisation that an expansion of the Lok Sabha to 850 seats would make it extremely difficult for some parties to contest cash-guzzling elections and secure wins.
