Party remains opposed to delimitation Bill in its present form: DMK
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Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Amid speculation over its position on a possible reintroduction of the constitutional amendment Bill linked to delimitation, the DMK has indicated that it continues to oppose the proposal in its current form.
DMK deputy general secretary and MP A. Raja told The New Indian Express that the party remains opposed in principle to the Bill as it stands and would continue to advocate for state rights. He said the party's demands remain unchanged and that its response would depend on the contents of any new legislation brought by the Centre, The Wire reported.
The party’s stance has drawn attention following its recent exit from the INDIA bloc after the Congress aligned with the TVK, which emerged as the largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and later formed the government with Congress and other allies.
Earlier this year, the Narendra Modi government failed to secure passage of the constitutional amendment Bill, marking the first such setback in 12 years. The proposed legislation, which sought to increase the Lok Sabha's strength to 850 seats as part of the implementation of women's reservation, was defeated by a united Opposition.
According to reports, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the accompanying delimitation proposal, envisaged major changes to parliamentary representation and could significantly alter the balance between the Union and the states.
At the time, the DMK, then a constituent of the INDIA bloc and an ally of the Congress, had strongly opposed the Bill.
A senior DMK leader was quoted as saying that the party's departure from the INDIA bloc should not be interpreted as support for the BJP. The leader said the DMK remains in contact with Opposition parties and is working towards the formation of a third front.
A DMK MP told the newspaper that the party's key demand is that any delimitation exercise should not be based on current population figures, arguing that doing so would disadvantage states that successfully implemented population control measures. The MP said the party favours using the 1971 population as the reference point and extending the existing freeze on delimitation for another 25 years.