Vijay’s Delimitation Meet Exposes Tamil Nadu Divide as DMK, AIADMK Boycott

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday chaired a meeting of the state’s MPs to discuss the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, but the initiative exposed political divisions after the DMK and AIADMK boycotted the gathering.

The meeting at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai was convened to examine the likely impact of delimitation on Tamil Nadu and formulate a collective response. Invitations were sent to MPs by Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar on August 6 and 7.

Around 21 of Tamil Nadu’s 57 MPs attended, with representatives of the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML and MDMK participating. The MPs who attended reportedly opposed the proposed delimitation framework and stressed the need to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation.

The DMK said its MPs would not participate, arguing that the government should have first consulted the party’s top leadership. The party maintained that it remains firmly opposed to any population-based redistribution that could reduce Tamil Nadu’s political weight.

The DMK also reiterated its demand for an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu issue, saying it would participate if the state government convened such a meeting. The party has repeatedly argued that Tamil Nadu should not be penalised for successfully implementing population-control measures.

Congress MP B Manickam Tagore criticised the boycott and said MPs should put Tamil Nadu’s interests above party politics. Congress is an ally of Vijay’s ruling TVK. The delimitation debate centres on concerns that a fresh allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on population could increase representation for states with larger populations while reducing the relative influence of southern states.

The issue has also become intertwined with the Cauvery-Mekedatu dispute. Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin raised Mekedatu in the Assembly, while Vijay defended his proposal to hold talks with Karnataka, saying he saw a possibility of a positive outcome. He also said he did not want to engage in “cheap politics” over the issue.