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Freeze Lok Sabha strength at 543: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay says in letter to PM Modi
The Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Union government to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543.
Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to effect Constitutional amendments to freeze the strength of Lok Sabha at 543 members.
In the letter, CM Vijay cited the resolution passed on August 12, 2026 by the Tamil Nadu assembly on the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies as well as the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women.
The Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Union government to freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543 and ensure 33 per cent women’s reservation in legislative bodies on the basis of this, HT had earlier reported.
"The chief minister said the resolution urges that the "total number of members of the House of the People (Lok Sabha) should be made permanent at 543," Vijay's letter read, according to PTI news agency.
The number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to the states should be made permanent at the present level, which means the current distribution of seats among the states must be maintained, CM Vijay said, quoting the resolution.
Further, the Assembly resolution has urged the Union government to ensure that women get one-third reservation in the upcoming general elections to the Lok Sabha and the subsequent polls to the legislative Assemblies.
"I enclose a copy of the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. I kindly request you to consider the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and bring in necessary Constitutional amendments in this regard," Vijay said.
The Tamil Nadu resolution
The move to pass the resolution on Wednesday came amid efforts by the government to mobilise the required numbers in Parliament to legislate the constitution amendment bill that seeks to fast track the reservation, already cleared by both Houses of Parliament, by delinking it from the ongoing national census and subsequent delimitation, and instead prescribe an alternative mechanism for delimitation.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government led by chief minister C Joseph Vijay was supported by the main opposition party in the state assembly, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and its own allies such as the Left parties and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), the late actor-politician Vijaykanth founded Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) opposed the resolution.
In April 2026, the Union government introduced The Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Parliament to remove the 50 year freeze on delimitation and take up delimitation exercise based on the 2011 census and increase the number of Lok Sabha members from 550 to 850 but failed to garner the numbers required to pasws this. The main reason for this was a lack of clarity about how the delimitation exercise would be carried out; while the government said that each state would see its Lok Sabha seats increase by 50%, the bill itself was silent on this.
