'Defining moment': Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin to host delimitation meet today

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Friday claimed the state's initiative against "unfair delimitation" planned by BJP-led govt at the Centre had become a "national movement".

In a social media post, Stalin said the first meeting of joint action committee (JAC) formed to oppose the delimitation exercise, scheduled for Saturday in Chennai, was a "defining moment in our collective journey".

"This is more than a meeting. It is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country," Stalin said, adding, "It's a historic day for Indian federalism."

The next course of action would be decided based on the outcome of the JAC meeting, the DMK chief maintained. Even as politicians from Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab started arriving in Chennai for the meeting, Stalin said the joint effort would result in "fair delimitation".

Explaining the need for the JAC and significance of the March 22 meeting in a video message, he said if the delimitation is carried out in 2026 based on the latest population count, representation of TN and several other states will be affected in Parliament. "It is not about the number of MPs, but that of a state's rights, which will get affected," he said.

While some CMs have confirmed their participation in the March 22 JAC meeting, others have agreed to send their representatives for the first round. "The meeting is being organised as the delimitation exercise will strike at the very foundation of federalism in India. It will erode the essence of democracy itself. Our voices in Parliament will be silenced and our rights will be compromised," Stalin said.

The Tamil Nadu CM alleged that the exercise was nothing short of a deliberate attempt to undermine certain states that have controlled population growth and contributed significantly to national progress.

Three CMs - Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telangana) and Bhagawant Mann (Punjab) - arrived in Chennai on Friday, besides politicians of various political parties.