Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched a sharp attack on the Centre, questioning the basis on which the upcoming delimitation of parliamentary constituencies will be carried out after the Union government deferred the national census to 2027.
Mr Stalin accused the BJP-led central government of orchestrating a move that could drastically reduce Tamil Nadu's share in parliament.
"This is a deliberate plan by the Centre to reduce Tamil Nadu's representation. We demand clear answers on what basis will delimitation be done when the census has been postponed?" he said in a strongly worded statement.
The chief minister also took aim at AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), who revived ties with the BJP, accusing him of being complicit.
"EPS has surrendered to Delhi's domination," Mr Stalin said.
The core of the concern lies in the fear that population-based delimitation, if implemented, could penalise states like Tamil Nadu and other southern states that have successfully controlled population growth over the past decades.
At present, Tamil Nadu holds 7.2 per cent of the total seats in the Lok Sabha.
There is worry that southern states, which have done their duty in controlling population, would be punished, while northern states that failed in this regard stand to gain an exponential number of seats.
A few months ago, Mr Stalin organised a conclave in Chennai attended by a few chief ministers and leaders of political parties demanding a fair delimitation.
The BJP, however, dismissed these fears as "unfounded and baseless."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah previously assured that Tamil Nadu would "not lose even a single seat" in the next delimitation.
Yet, the southern states are not convinced. They are calling for the current proportion of MPs from each state to be frozen to preserve regional balance and ensure fairness.
With state elections in Tamil Nadu due in 2026, the issue is also becoming part of the poll narrative.
