Always opposed delimitation: DMK clears stand as Vijay calls MPs' meet on issue
At a time when the Centre has signalled its intention to reintroduce the delimitation bill, which it has linked to the implementation of women's reservation
At a time when the Centre has signalled its intention to reintroduce the delimitation bill, which it has linked to the implementation of women's reservation, the issue has become the latest flashpoint in Tamil Nadu. Amid buzz that the DMK has softened its stance on the bill much to the unease of the INDIA bloc, Udhayanidhi Stalin clarified that the party had opposed delimitation from the very beginning and "will continue to do so". Read Full Story With differing voices emerging on the key issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has called a meeting with state MPs to discuss the proposed delimitation exercise.
So far, the DMK had not presented a stern stance on the bill amid talks of its revival. It had led to unease in the opposition, especially the Congress. A united opposition had defeated the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in April, which proposed lifting the freeze on expanding the number of Lok Sabha seats. However, much water has flown down the Cauvery since DMK supremo MK Stalin burnt a copy of the bill as a symbolic protest. The DMK exited the INDIA bloc at the national level after the Congress ditched the party to support Vijay's TVK in Tamil Nadu.
The delimitation bill seeks to redraw constituencies based on the 2011 Census. It will see the total number of Lok Sabha seats rising from 543 to 850. Clearing the DMK's stance on the bill, Udhayanidhi said, "The DMK has always opposed delimitation. We will continue to oppose it in the future." "This is not a new issue. The Centre is presenting it as if it has surfaced for the first time," the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly told India Today. Significantly, the clarification came hours after a report in The Hindu claimed the DMK has indicated it might support the delimitation bill if three changes were incorporated.
With 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and eight in the Rajya Sabha, the DMK is the fifth largest constituent in Parliament. The DMK has demanded that the 1971 Census and not the 2011 exercise should remain the basis for delimitation of the Lok Sabha for the next 25 years. Ends
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