Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin sarcastically urged a newlywed couple to quickly plan a family to ensure the state benefits from upcoming delimitation exercises, which could affect representation in Parliament. At a wedding, he noted that larger populations may secure more MPs, highlighting concerns that Tamil Nadu’s successful population control could disadvantage it in future delimitation. Stalin criticized the Centre’s plans and countered a BJP spokesperson’s claims of “diversionary drama” by emphasizing the need for all parties to unite in defense of the state’s interests during an upcoming meeting on the delimitation issue.
Chennai:
In a tongue-in-cheek comment regarding the Centre’s delimitation plans, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has encouraged a newlywed couple to start a family right away to ensure the state benefits during the delimitation process.
While attending a wedding for a DMK district secretary in Nagapattinam, Mr. Stalin remarked that he would previously advise newlyweds to delay family planning. “Now, I would not suggest you take your time. Due to current circumstances, a larger population means more MPs for us. This situation has arisen because we’ve effectively controlled our population. Have children right away, but ensure they have beautiful Tamil names,” he said.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu is actively opposing the Centre’s delimitation approach. Delimitation is the reconfiguration of parliamentary and Assembly constituency boundaries to mirror population changes over time. DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has asserted that the forthcoming delimitation exercise, anticipated post-2026, will disadvantage southern states. He claimed that these states, having implemented family planning strategies effectively over the years, could be negatively impacted when boundaries are redrawn based on demographic shifts. This would diminish the representation of southern states in Parliament, despite their significant accomplishments in population control for the nation’s benefit and their notable contributions to the country’s GDP, argued the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
In response to Mr. Stalin’s comments, BJP spokesperson CR Keshavan accused the DMK of engaging in “desperate and dishonest diversionary drama.” “Does the DMK, which is indulging in desperate and dishonest diversion, have the boldness to question Rahul Gandhi regarding his call for ‘Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq’, which means rights proportional to the population? This stance of Rahul Gandhi contradicts what the DMK is claiming,” he stated.
Mr. Keshavan further asserted that the DMK is “attempting to distract from their mismanagement, misrule, and poor governance.”
Accusing the Centre of attempting to impose Hindi under the guise of a national education policy, Mr. Stalin also subtly urged the state BJP not to boycott an all-party meeting scheduled to discuss the delimitation matter. “They are trying to enforce delimitation that will decrease Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha seats. I’ve called for an all-party meeting on March 5 to outline our position on delimitation. Forty parties registered with the Election Commission have been invited. A majority have confirmed their attendance, while a few have chosen to skip. However, they must realize this is not just a DMK issue, but a concern for the entire state. So, I once again urge everyone to unite for the welfare and rights of our state,” he concluded.