Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 17 : Calling the current form of the Delimitation Bill, 2026 a "grand conspiracy" to diminish the representation and power of Southern states, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday called for its withdrawal, saying that the current form of the bill is "nothing short of a complete deception."
Rejecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's assurances that representation of specific states will not be impacted, CM Stalin alleged that the text of the bill allows for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to redraw constituencies in whatever manner they choose through the newly introduced delimitation commission.
"The Union BJP Government must completely withdraw the Delimitation Bill! Today is a crucial day in Tamil Nadu's politics. It is the day we will learn the outcome of our struggles against delimitation," Stalin wrote on X.
"Through the extensive powers granted to the Delimitation Commission in this Bill, they can, whenever they wish, in whatever manner they choose, at any time in the future, alter the constituency sizes of Indian states to their advantage. This black law contains provisions that pave the way for such changes. This Bill is laden with a grand conspiracy," his post added.
Further warning of "consequences" if the law is passed in haste, his post added, "If, in the arrogance of their numerical strength, they push it through despite our opposition, they will have to face the consequences in Tamil Nadu."
He further said that the words of PM Modi and HM Shah cannot be trusted, rejecting the verbal assurances given by the leaders in Parliament on Thursday.
"Following our fierce opposition and protests, the Hon'ble Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister have yesterday provided a verbal assurance in Parliament that Tamil Nadu's constituency size will not be reduced."
Stalin further urged for ensuring constitutional safeguards that former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee provided by freezing delimitation through constitutional amendment.
Earlier, during the Parliament session, Union Home Minister Amit Shah looked to assuage the feeling of Southern states, saying that their share of representation will remain the same.
"The biggest narrative being created is that these three bills, the Constitution Amendment Bill, bill on delimitation, and changes to the constituency election law, will harm the power of the South," he said."If we listen to the entire narrative created for the South, then out of the 543 seats created by you, 129 MPs currently sit in this House, which is approximately 23.76%. In the new House, 195 MPs will be sitting here, and their power will be 23.97%," he added.
Delimitation, the process of redrawing and rearranging the constituencies, typically happens every 10 years following the completion of the Census, as is detailed in Article 82 and clause (3) of article 170 of the Constitution. In 2001, the Constitution (Eighty-fourth Amendment) Act, 2001 froze the allocation of seats to the House of People and legislative assembly on the basis of 1971 census, and only allowing delimitation post the 2026 census.
Lok Sabha today is set to continue discussion and vote on the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which provides 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and State Assemblies, along with the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extending it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill, which is set to increase and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing them up to 850.
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