Chennai, Aug 10:
The Congress on Sunday opposed the proposed delimitation exercise and held a peace rally in Chennai, cautioning that Tamil Nadu’s political representation and voice in Parliament could be weakened if seats are redistributed based on population.
Addressing the rally, MP Praveen Chakravarty and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Manickam Tagore said the proposed exercise would disproportionately affect southern states, reducing their influence in national decision-making.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Tagore said there was no need to criticise the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, noting that its sole objective was to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s political rights and parliamentary representation.
He pointed out that even a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats would raise the combined strength of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from 40 to 60, while Uttar Pradesh’s representation would increase from 80 to 120. This, he argued, would widen the representation gap between the two regions by 20 seats.