Karnataka govt joins Tamil Nadu CM Stalin in opposing delimitation

Bengaluru: The Congress-led Karnataka government said on Wednesday that it will join hands with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in opposing the proposed delimitation exercise.

This decision was made after Siddaramaiah met with a delegation from Tamil Nadu and also had a phone conversation with CM Stalin.

"Tamil Nadu's Forest Minister K. Ponmudy and Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad Abdullah Ismail met CM Siddaramaiah at Cauvery Residence in Bengaluru and discussed the ongoing protest against the Union government's 'anti-democratic stance' and its alleged bias against southern states." said the statement in this regard by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Bengaluru.

"They (Tamil Nadu delegation) urged him (Siddaramaiah) to raise his voice on the issue of delimitation and stand in solidarity with the protest. Earlier to this, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had also spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the phone regarding the same issues," the statement added.

"During discussions with the Tamil Nadu government delegation and Chief Minister Stalin, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended his support to the opposition raised by Southern states," according to the statement.

The statement underlined that, "CM Siddaramaiah firmly said, 'We unequivocally condemn all actions of the Union government that are against Karnataka's interests, weaken democracy, and go against the federal principles of the Constitution. We will also extend our support to the fight against such moves.'"

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has reached out to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking his support in opposing the proposed delimitation exercise. In his letter, Stalin made two specific requests.

"Your formal consent to join a Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka in the south to West Bengal and Odisha to Punjab in the north," Stalin added.

He also requested the Congress party to nominate a senior representative to join the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against delimitation.

In his letter, CM Stalin also said, "As an initial step towards unified action, I propose an inaugural meeting in Chennai on March 22 to chart our collective course forward. This moment demands leadership and collaboration, rising above political differences and standing up for our collective good."

(inputs from IANS)