Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government has come under fire from the opposition DMK over Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s position on the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies.
The DMK accused Vijay of softening Tamil Nadu’s stand after he called for a “fair” delimitation at the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Chengalpattu, attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The party pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had unanimously demanded that the total number of Lok Sabha seats be retained at 543.
Vijay, however, argued that southern states that successfully implemented population control should receive legal safeguards to prevent their parliamentary representation from being weakened. The DMK said this amounted to moving away from the Assembly resolution and aligning with the BJP-led Centre’s approach.
The controversy has also exposed differences within the TVK-Congress alliance. Congress MP S. Jyothimani said the party and the INDIA bloc remain committed to retaining 543 Lok Sabha seats for the next 25 years, with 33% women’s reservation to be implemented within that existing strength. She maintained that neither the TVK government nor Vijay needed to depart from this position.
The DMK also questioned whether Congress would challenge Vijay’s stance or remain silent despite its earlier opposition to delimitation based on population. AIADMK has separately sought an explanation for the apparent shift, particularly after Vijay met with Shah.
TVK sources said Vijay’s position was aimed at protecting Tamil Nadu’s political weight and parliamentary voice despite its success in population control.