Tamil Nadu wants freeze on Lok Sabha seats to continue

Tamil Nadu has urged the Centre to continue the freeze on Lok Sabha seats at 543 nationally and 39 in the state, citing concerns over delimitation and political representation. The state also said the Cauvery dispute was not discussed at the meeting

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday conveyed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the existing freeze capping Lok Sabha seats at 543 nationally and 39 in the state should continue, state minister R Nirmal Kumar said.

Addressing reporters following the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting held at Kovalam near here, Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar said the Chief Minister conveyed the state’s concerns on delimitation and stressed that the existing freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats should continue.

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Asked if there was any change in the state government’s stance on delimitation, Kumar reaffirmed the Tamil Nadu government’s unchanged official position on parliamentary delimitation.

“Our stand remains unchanged and committed to the existing freeze capping Lok Sabha seats at 543 nationally and 39 in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

The Minister said the Council discussed several state-specific issues, and regional requirements.

“We expressed our serious concerns that the southern states could face reduced political representation on population-based reallocation. These apprehensions were directly conveyed to Union Home Minister. The Centre will now decide,” he remarked, indicating that the region’s demography should not penalise its successful population control initiatives.

Asked if the inter-state ongoing dispute on Cauvery water sharing with Karnataka was discussed at the meeting, the Minister clarified that neither the Cauvery river water issue nor matters pertaining to the Cauvery Tribunal were brought up during this council session.

On the Mullaiperiyar Dam controversy, he asserted Tamil Nadu’s position regarding increasing the dam’s storage height, maintaining that the existing structure remained fully stable and structurally sound.

The council’s session concluded with discussions regarding the host state for the next meeting, with Telangana under active consideration as the potential venue for the 32nd meeting, he said.