CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday urged the Union government to provide a clear legislative assurance that no State would suffer a reduction in its percentage of representation in Parliament because of its success in population stabilisation.
Addressing the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council at Mahabalipuram, Vijay said the Southern States had been at the forefront of population stabilisation, human development and economic growth, and that their achievements in fulfilling national priorities should not result in a reduction in their parliamentary representation.
His remarks came against the backdrop of the approaching end of the freeze on the allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census and consideration of the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
He said there was a "genuine and shared concern" among the Southern States that delimitation based predominantly on population could diminish their collective voice in Parliament.
"Public policy must not inadvertently penalise States for fulfilling national objectives," he said, calling for an assurance that would uphold equity, preserve the federal balance and reinforce the confidence of States in democratic institutions.
As TVK president, Vijay had opposed the proposed delimitation, arguing that Tamil Nadu should not lose its parliamentary representation. After becoming Chief Minister, he convened a meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs on August 8 to discuss the proposed exercise. The meeting was followed by the government's decision to bring a resolution in the Assembly opposing delimitation.
On August 12, 2026, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted the resolution moved by Vijay, calling for the Lok Sabha's strength to be retained at the existing 543 seats and for the 33% reservation for women to be accommodated within those seats, rather than increasing the total strength and redistributing seats on the basis of population.
Vijay subsequently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a constitutional amendment to permanently freeze the Lok Sabha's strength at 543 seats.
Vijay, in his speech, also urged the Union government to allow Tamil Nadu to fill all seats under the State quota in MBBS, BDS and AYUSH courses solely on the basis of Class XII marks, reiterating the State's opposition to NEET. He said NEET placed rural and socially and economically disadvantaged students at a disadvantage and undermined Tamil Nadu's school-education-based model of inclusive medical admissions.
On fiscal federalism, the Chief Minister said the Southern States were seeking "not preferential treatment, but fair and equitable treatment" that respected fiscal autonomy and rewarded performance alongside equity. He also called for greater flexibility for States in determining GST rates.
On interstate water disputes, Vijay stressed that the rights of lower-riparian States must be protected and that Supreme Court judgments, tribunal awards and statutory mechanisms governing rivers must be implemented in letter and spirit. He specifically referred to the Cauvery and Mullai Periyar disputes.
He also called for stronger interstate coordination to tackle drug trafficking, particularly the movement of narcotic and psychotropic substances, and proposed common economic and logistics clusters across the Southern States.
Vijay also proposed that the SZC champion common economic and logistics clusters across the Southern States, comprising integrated manufacturing zones, shared multimodal logistics parks, and seamless freight and industrial corridors that link production centres to ports and global markets.
"These initiatives would lower the cost of doing business, sharpen our export competitiveness, make the South a far more attractive destination for foreign investment, and spread industry and opportunity into our smaller towns, driving genuinely balanced regional growth," the Tamil Nadu CM said. He added that an immediate example in this regard could be the proposed extension of the Bengaluru Metro from Bommasandra to Hosur, describing it as a model of interstate infrastructure cooperation.
Calling for a greater focus on the maritime economy, he proposed an integrated regional approach covering ports, coastal shipping, fisheries, marine industries, maritime services and coastal tourism, saying Tamil Nadu was ready to partner with neighbouring States in advancing the Blue Economy.
Vijay said the Southern States together contributed more than 30% of India's GDP and were at the forefront of manufacturing, exports, services and innovation. "Strong States make for a stronger India," he said, reaffirming Tamil Nadu's commitment to working with the Union government and other States towards a developed India.
The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailasanathan.
