E-Paper
Big blow to CM Vijay's all-party meet on delimitation as 37 of 57 Tamil Nadu MPs opt out
The meeting had been called to determine a state response to delimitation, which had raised concerns over the potential reduction of seats for southern states.
In what could be seen a symbolic blow to chief minister C Vijay Joseph, majority of MPs in Tamil Nadu decided to opt out of the all-party MPs' meeting convened by him on Saturday to discuss the issue of delimitation.
The meeting had been called by Vijay to determine a unified state response to the proposed delimitation exercise, which had raised concerns over the potential reduction of parliamentary seats for southern states, ANI news agency reported.
Out of the 57 MPs from Tamil Nadu, only 20 were expected to attend the session, with 37 choosing to stay away from the meeting, signalling a lack of consensus on the chief minister's initiative, according to ANI.
Which parties are attending and which are not?
According to the attendance details, the 20 MPs attending the meeting are largely from the Congress and its smaller allies. The Congress has 12 MPs present, while the VCK, CPI and CPI(M) have two each, and the MDMK and IUML have one each.
Meanwhile, the ruling DMK has boycotted the meeting, with all 30 of its MPs absent. The main opposition AIADMK also skipped the event, with its four MPs staying away. The PMK, MNM and DMDK have also joined the boycott, with one MP each.
The MPs, who are skipping the meeting, have accused the TVK-led government of attempting to divert attention from the Cauvery water sharing issue.
The meeting comes amid reports of a renewed effort by the government to get the bill passed with speculation gathering momentum that it may reintroduce the legislation in the upcoming monsoon session.
The government has indicated, HT learns, that it is willing to bring the delimitation bill during a special three-day session after Independence Day. Vijay's meeting would be a consultative one including Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs from the stateto deliberate on the proposed Delimitation Bill 2026 and its potential impact on Tamil Nadu.
Also Read | Kharge calls for all-party meeting on delimitation bill, writes to PM
DMK, AIADMK lead boycott; claim meet called to divert attention from Cauvery issue
The boycott is primarily led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). All 30 MPs from the DMK will allegedly be absent from the meeting.
Speaking on the party boycotting the meet, DMK MP Kanimozhi said that the all-party MPs meeting convened by CM Vijay is unnecessary, alleging that it had been called to divert attention from the Cauvery issue.
The Cauvery dispute is a decades-old disagreement over the sharing of river water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is currently in focus over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, which Tamil Nadu has opposed. Vijay has proposed dialogue between the two states to resolve the issue.
Kanimozhi further added that no official announcement from the Union government has been made regarding the tabling of the delimitation bill in the current Parliament session, adding that since the amended draft is not even available, there is nothing new to discuss.
Also Read | Anybody who backs delimitation is betraying Tamil Nadu, says Rahul Gandhi
AIADMK will also skip the meeting with its four MPs, with other parties, including the PMK, MNM, and DMDK – which have one MP each – also joinin gthe boycott. Among the MPs expected to attend are 2 from the Congress, two each from the VCK, CPI, and CPI(M), and one each from the MDMK and IUML.
(With inputs from ANI)
