Fri Mar 28 10:37:22 UTC 2025: ## Southern Chief Ministers Demand Delimitation Freeze, Sparking Political Debate

**Chennai, India** – A coalition of Chief Ministers from Southern and Eastern India have called for a delay in the upcoming parliamentary and state assembly delimitation exercise, scheduled for 2026. The meeting, held in Chennai on March 22nd, included representatives from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) parties. The group argued that using current population figures would disadvantage states that have successfully implemented family planning programs, disproportionately impacting their representation in Parliament.

The absence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who actively lobbied for a delimitation freeze in 2000, fueled speculation about the political motivations behind the initiative. While the coalition frames the issue as one of fair representation, the BJP alleges the move is a distraction from governance concerns.

The current impasse stems from the delayed 2020 census due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chief Ministers proposed several alternative solutions, including: freezing delimitation for another 25 years, conducting state assembly delimitation separately from Lok Sabha changes, and developing a more complex formula that incorporates factors like fiscal contribution and development levels. Proposals to increase the Rajya Sabha’s strength to balance Lok Sabha representation were also discussed.

The meeting, seen by some as an attempt by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to bolster his national political profile ahead of upcoming state elections, will be followed by another in Hyderabad. The central government, currently led by the BJP, faces the challenge of finding a solution acceptable to all stakeholders to avoid jeopardizing India’s federal structure. The potential options include using the 2011 census data or devising a new formula that addresses the concerns of both Northern and Southern states.

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