Amit Shah chairs southern CMs conclave, Shivakumar flags delimitation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah presided over a conclave of southern state chief ministers held at Kovalam, near Chennai. Karnataka's DK Shivakumar raised the issue of delimitation during the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, along with Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

Shivakumar urged the Council to adopt a resolution calling on the Union government to honor the 1971 census as the basis for delimitation, retain the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats for the next 25 years, and incorporate women's reservation within those seats. He emphasized that the southern states' success in controlling population growth should not diminish their political voice. Shivakumar stressed that representation should be about weight and voice, not just numbers.

The chief minister also linked the delimitation issue to women's reservation, stating that the implementation of the reservation should not be delayed due to a fresh delimitation exercise. He advocated for freezing the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543 for the next 25 years and providing women's reservation within those seats.

Karnataka Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, sitting next to Shivakumar, engaged in a key interaction with him. Both CMs shared views on shared priorities and issues important to the progress and development of the region. The meeting took place at a seaside resort in Chennai, where important inter-state and national issues were discussed.