T.N. MPs’ meeting convened by CM Vijay seeks freeze on 543 Lok Sabha seats

Members of Tamil Nadu's Parliament convened by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday for a meeting to discuss the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha seats. The objective was to maintain the current number of 543 seats, protecting the representation rights of Tamil Nadu and southern States.

The meeting, held at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai, was attended by 19 Tamil Nadu MPs, including Congress leader P. Chidambaram, out of a total of 57 Tamil Nadu MPs. They unanimously opposed any amendment to the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill on delimitation, favoring the retention of the existing Lok Sabha seat count till 2056.

Participants objected to granting the Delimitation Commission extensive powers, asserting that Parliament should have the final authority. CM Vijay emphasized the necessity for all political parties to collaborate in safeguarding Tamil Nadu's rights. The meeting lasted over one and a half hours, during which opposition to increasing the Lok Sabha's total strength to 815 or 850, and the equitable representation of Tamil Nadu, was reiterated.

DMK MP Karti Chidambaram stated that all MPs unanimously opposed any rise in seats, arguing that multiplying the total strength of the Lok Sabha and granting Tamil Nadu's share a proportionate increase would not benefit the State. VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan advocated for dropping the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, maintaining the current strength and allocation among States.

While DMK boycotted the meeting, other parties, including the AIADMK and DMDK, also declined to participate. Congress MP R. Sudha from Mayiladuthurai was absent due to party commitments in Karnataka. Notable participants included ministers, the Chief Secretary, and senior officials.