Storm brews over delimitation in Indian southern states
New Delhi: After a heated exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Tamil Nadu government over the imposition of Hindi, a fresh political storm is brewing in the southern states.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the controversy revolves around the upcoming delimitation exercise, a process that could significantly alter political representation in Parliament, potentially to the detriment of the South.
Several political parties in southern India have raised strong objections to the BJP-led Indian government’s delimitation plans, arguing that the exercise will disproportionately benefit populous northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. Since parliamentary and assembly seats are determined based on population, the concern is that redistribution will further centralise political influence in the North, leaving the South with diminished policy influence.
To counteract the anticipated imbalance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has taken the lead in forming a coalition of affected states. He has reached out to both current and former chief ministers, advocating the creation of a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to formulate a response. Stalin contends that the Indian government has neither provided clarity nor made any concrete commitment to address the concerns of the southern states.
His proposal extends beyond the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, seeking to include Odisha, Punjab, and West Bengal. As a first step, he has suggested an inaugural conference in Chennai on 22 March to chart a collective course of action.
In his letter to regional leaders, Stalin underscored the gravity of the issue, stating: “This issue transcends individual state concerns — it strikes at the heart of our federal principles. Together, we must examine the constitutional, legal, and political dimensions of this challenge and jointly develop alternatives that preserve our current representation in percentage terms.”
He further emphasised that this was not just about principles but about securing resources, influencing national policies, and ensuring that the economic priorities of the South received due attention.
