DMK refuses to attend Tamil Nadu MPs' delimitation meeting, calls it political theater

DMK declared its intention to skip the consultative gathering of Tamil Nadu MPs that the state government arranged to craft a joint approach to parliamentary delimitation. In a statement, deputy general secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi dismissed the meeting as a political drama meant to shift focus from the ongoing Mekedatu dam controversy and the Cauvery water dispute. She reminded that party president M K Stalin had previously warned about delimitation risks, organized an all-party forum, and set up a joint action committee with leaders from other southern states.

The DMK insists the Union must retain the 1971 census as the reference point for constituency boundaries for at least 30 years beyond 2026, and that any increase in Parliament’s size should preserve Tamil Nadu’s 7.18% share. Citing unanimous support from allied parties such as Congress, CPI, CPI (M), IUML and VCK, Kanimozhi questioned the need for another meeting without a new Union bill. She also noted the state’s silence on a requested all-party discussion of the Mekedatu project and reiterated a condition set by DMK general secretary Duraimurugan that such a meeting precede any delimitation talks, urging the government to forward Tamil Nadu’s anti-Mekedatu resolution to the Union Jal Shakti minister.