South Indian States Rally Against Delimitation Impact

At the inaugural Joint Action Committee Meeting in Chennai, opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi, voiced concerns over the delimitation process affecting South Indian representation. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urged unity among southern states and proposed a legal expert committee to challenge the perceived bias in delimitation efforts.

The first Joint Action Committee Meeting on delimitation, held in Chennai, saw leaders from South India, including Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Priyanka Chaturvedi, advocating for Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's involvement due to its impact on his state. Chaturvedi emphasized the need for a fair process, avoiding discrimination against southern states.

Chaturvedi clarified that the opposition isn't politically motivated but stems from concerns about fair parliamentary representation relative to population growth, arguing that census figures alone aren't adequate for deciding representation.

In response, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urged opposition parties to unify against the delimitation exercise, cautioning against its potential to diminish southern states' political influence. He proposed forming a legal expert committee to ensure fairness. The meeting also included leaders like Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

(With inputs from agencies.)