Chennai, Mar 22 (PTI) Asserting that the proposed delimitation exercise based on population would not be "fair" to southern states, the DMK-led Joint Action Committee meeting on Saturday demanded that the Centre should extend the freeze on Parliamentary constituencies, based on the 1971 Census population, by another 25 years and decided to submit a joint representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ongoing Parliamentary session.

A political consensus also emerged to fight against "population" as the yardstick to determine delimitation and it was resolved during the meeting, which was held to ensure "fair delimitation", not to lose representation for southern states. Politically, the meeting, which was attended by three chief ministers, a deputy CM and leaders of 14 parties including the BRS, BJD and SAD from six states in a show of solidarity on the issue, was a shot in the arm for Chief Minister M K Stalin and his party DMK, ahead of the Assembly election in Tamil Nadu next year.

"The upcoming or future population-based delimitation of constituencies based on the next census will greatly affect a few states. We should all be absolutely sure that delimitation based on the current population cannot be accepted," Stalin asserted. He also said a legal option could be explored and favoured setting up an expert panel to draw up the political and legal action plan.

Addressing the meeting, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the proposed delimitation as a 'sword of Damocles' hanging over the states, especially in southern India, which implemented programs to control the population. He urged the Centre to engage in "meaningful dialogues" before going ahead with the process. Delimitation, if done after the Census, will lead to an increase in seats for northern states and a reduction for southern states. "Such a cut in seats for the south and an increase for the north will suit the BJP as it holds greater influence in the north," he claimed.

Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accused Stalin of spreading "misinformation," over the delimitation issue and assured that southern states will not lose a "single Parliamentary seat." Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman charged the DMK was raising "emotional" issues like alleged Hindi imposition and delimitation as it had nothing to showcase as its own achievements before the people during next year's Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

The DMK, however, described the meeting as a "historic first," in the annals of independent India, involving 7 states including Tamil Nadu and 14 political parties. "DMK President (Stalin) is deciding national politics, the JAC resolution is causing political tremors in Delhi," the party said.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy said: "Do not increase Lok Sabha seat numbers. If BJP does delimitation exercise based on population, south India will lose its political voice and north will make us secondary citizens. We will not accept delimitation based on population because then states like UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, will dominate rest of the country. We cannot accept it any cost." Tamil Nadu BJP leaders held blackflags and stood in front of their houses to stage protest against the DMK government. K Annamalai said the protest is to condemn the DMK chief M K Stalin for his "red carpet welcome," to his INDIA bloc partners who are "continuously betraying Tamil Nadu farmers in the Cauvery & Mullai Periyar issue." Senior leader Tamilisai Soundararajan ridiculed the event saying it was a meeting, based on yet to be announced delimitation, to deceive the people. RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar wondered if the delimitation process has actually started Karnataka Dy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar alleged that the Centre planned to reduce the Parliamentary representation of southern states. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann alleged the BJP wanted to increase seats in states where it wins and reduce in states where it loses. In Punjab, the BJP does not win. "They do not have a single set out of the (present) 13." Mann further claimed that "south is facing loss," and asked if the southern states were being punished for reducing population.

Though invited, the YSRCP did not take part in the meeting on delimitation. However, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to carry out the delimitation exercise in such a manner that no state would suffer any reduction in representation. PTI VGN JSP HMP SJR STH GMS AMP SA PYK VGN SA