Discuss Delimitation Bill after polls: CPI state secy

Trichy: Discussions on the Delimitation Bill should be taken up in Parliament after the election process is completed in five states, said CPI state secretary M Veerapaandiyan during a campaign in Nagapattinam district on Friday. CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, during his campaign in the district, said Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is contesting in elections only to split votes.Talking to reporters after a campaign at Kilvelur bus stand in support of CPM's Latha Thangamani, Veerapaandiyan said discussions were initiated in Parliament ignoring the requests of southern states. "The urgency shown by Prime Minister Modi to pass the bill is unacceptable. This is against parliamentary democracy," he said. "The bill can be discussed only after the elections in the five states are over, and the voices of southern states must be respected," he said.Veerapaandiyan condemned alleged delimitation of Lok Sabha seats favoring north Indian states at the expense of south Indian states. Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami is supporting the bill without understanding it, he said. All parties in the DMK alliance welcome the 33% reservation for women. "In fact, as Periyar suggested, 50% reservation should be provided for women," he said.Shanmugam, meanwhile, campaigned near Melapidagai for Latha Thangamani. He claimed that several doubts surround actor Vijay's entry into politics. "Why is he contesting in two constituencies? Is it out of fear of defeat? If all his party candidates lose and only he wins, what will he do in the assembly?" he asked. "He lacks clear plans to address unemployment and income issues. Movie dialogues can't solve people's problems."