Tamil Nadu won't accept delimitation: From Karur, Vijay's message to Centre
Vijay reiterated TVK's long-standing opposition to delimitation, arguing it would weaken southern states' representation and reduce Tamil Nadu's share in Parliament and central funding. Recalling his pre-election stand, he urged the Centre to drop the proposal, saying the state would resist any attempt to revive it.
After accusing the then DMK government and the police of failing to prevent last year's Karur stampede and alleging that the ruling party sought to derive political mileage from the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday also took on the Centre over the Delimitation Bill, which failed to pass the Lok Sabha test during a specially convened three-day Parliament session in April.
Without naming the BJP directly, Vijay asserted that Tamil Nadu would never accept the proposed exercise, saying no one would be allowed to "take away" the state's rightful place through delimitation.
Now, with the BJP-led NDA government reportedly mulling a fresh Constitutional Amendment Bill to push forward delimitation, Vijay warned, "I am also hearing that delimitation will be brought back. No matter who brings it, Tamil Nadu will not accept it."
"Nobody can take away our place, and we will not allow it," Vijay further said during an emotional address in Karur, where he was handing over government job appointment orders to the families of those who died in last year's stampede.
In February, Tamil Nadu became the first state to pass a formal Assembly resolution opposing the delimitation exercise. MK Stalin was the Chief Minister back then.
Months later, in April, during the run-up to the Assembly elections, Vijay set out his position on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, and urged the Centre to withdraw it, saying it would be a biased move that would weaken the voice of the southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu.
The bill later failed to secure the requisite two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.
While the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) welcomed the measure to provide 33 per cent reservation for women, the party opposed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, on the ground that it would sharply widen the difference in representation between the southern and northern states, Vijay said.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Vijay said that if the bill came into effect, the representation of the southern states would fall, while that of the northern states would increase in areas such as lawmaking on language, culture and state rights, as well as in shaping Union government policies.
He said this would mean that the voices of people in the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, which he said had consistently followed Union government directives, might not be heard adequately in Parliament. He described this as a biased action by the Centre.
Vijay also said the bill would amount to a punishment for states that had followed Union government policies over the years, while becoming a reward for those that had not. He said that if the bill was passed, it could affect the allocation of funds to states because of changes in the number and proportion of parliamentary constituencies.
Referring to Tamil Nadu's allegation that it was already losing out in the devolution of funds from the Centre, and that the state was not receiving budgetary allocation, Vijay said there was a strong possibility that, after delimitation, funds for population-based schemes would fall further. He said the Centre should continue with the existing system.
Vijay's stand, set out ahead of the Assembly elections, was that the Bill should be withdrawn as it would reduce the political voice of the southern states and could also affect fund flows, even as TVK supported the proposal for 33 per cent reservation for women.
After accusing the then DMK government and the police of failing to prevent last year's Karur stampede and alleging that the ruling party sought to derive political mileage from the tragedy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday also took on the Centre over the Delimitation Bill, which failed to pass the Lok Sabha test during a specially convened three-day Parliament session in April.
Without naming the BJP directly, Vijay asserted that Tamil Nadu would never accept the proposed exercise, saying no one would be allowed to "take away" the state's rightful place through delimitation.
Now, with the BJP-led NDA government reportedly mulling a fresh Constitutional Amendment Bill to push forward delimitation, Vijay warned, "I am also hearing that delimitation will be brought back. No matter who brings it, Tamil Nadu will not accept it."
"Nobody can take away our place, and we will not allow it," Vijay further said during an emotional address in Karur, where he was handing over government job appointment orders to the families of those who died in last year's stampede.
In February, Tamil Nadu became the first state to pass a formal Assembly resolution opposing the delimitation exercise. MK Stalin was the Chief Minister back then.
Months later, in April, during the run-up to the Assembly elections, Vijay set out his position on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, and urged the Centre to withdraw it, saying it would be a biased move that would weaken the voice of the southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu.
The bill later failed to secure the requisite two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.
While the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) welcomed the measure to provide 33 per cent reservation for women, the party opposed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, on the ground that it would sharply widen the difference in representation between the southern and northern states, Vijay said.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Vijay said that if the bill came into effect, the representation of the southern states would fall, while that of the northern states would increase in areas such as lawmaking on language, culture and state rights, as well as in shaping Union government policies.
He said this would mean that the voices of people in the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, which he said had consistently followed Union government directives, might not be heard adequately in Parliament. He described this as a biased action by the Centre.
Vijay also said the bill would amount to a punishment for states that had followed Union government policies over the years, while becoming a reward for those that had not. He said that if the bill was passed, it could affect the allocation of funds to states because of changes in the number and proportion of parliamentary constituencies.
Referring to Tamil Nadu's allegation that it was already losing out in the devolution of funds from the Centre, and that the state was not receiving budgetary allocation, Vijay said there was a strong possibility that, after delimitation, funds for population-based schemes would fall further. He said the Centre should continue with the existing system.
Vijay's stand, set out ahead of the Assembly elections, was that the Bill should be withdrawn as it would reduce the political voice of the southern states and could also affect fund flows, even as TVK supported the proposal for 33 per cent reservation for women.
