Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Sparks Row Over Parliamentary Seats
Chief Minister S Joseph Vijay faces opposition criticism after calling for legislative assurances on parliamentary representation during a Southern Zonal Council meeting.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister S Joseph Vijay sparked a political controversy during the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mamallapuram. Vijay urged the Union government to provide a legislative assurance that states would not suffer a reduction in their percentage of parliamentary representation as a result of successful population stabilization, arguing that such a move would protect the federal balance.
Opposition parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), accused the Chief Minister of a "U-turn" and "flip-flopping." Critics argued that Vijay failed to explicitly reiterate a Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution passed on August 12, which demanded a total freeze of Lok Sabha seats at 543. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran questioned whether the Chief Minister had aligned himself with the BJP alliance.
In response to the backlash, Tamil Nadu Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmalkumar and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rejected the allegations. Nirmalkumar clarified that the state government's position remains unchanged, reiterating the demand to freeze the total number of Lok Sabha seats at 543, with 39 specifically reserved for Tamil Nadu.
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