Opposition Unites in Chennai Over Delimitation Controversy

Opposition leaders gathered in Chennai for the Joint Action Committee Meeting, initiated by Tamil Nadu's CM MK Stalin. The focus was on delimitation and the federalism attack, with leaders from Karnataka, Telangana, and Punjab attending. The BJP dismisses the issue, while Tamil Nadu aims for fair representation.

In a significant political development, opposition leaders have converged in Chennai for the first Joint Action Committee Meeting, focusing on the contentious issue of delimitation. The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, is spearheading the initiative, seeking to challenge the federal approach of the BJP-led central government.

Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar was one of the prominent figures arriving in Chennai this weekend to take part in discussions on behalf of the Karnataka government. Visuals from the venue indicated widespread awareness, with posters and banners erected around the meeting site.

Top representatives from Telangana, including Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and BRS's KT Rama Rao, joined the meeting the night prior, along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, signaling a consolidated stance on the issue.

The attendance list also includes key figures such as Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, reaffirming the call by CM Stalin for a united opposition voice against the perceived assault on federalism.

Stalin's overtures involved personal invitations to chief ministers from seven states, across party lines, emphasizing the need for unified resistance against what he termed as an 'unfair exercise'. The Tamil Nadu government is actively challenging the central government's three-language formula in the National Education Policy 2020 and its implications on the upcoming delimitation exercise.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai leveled criticisms against the BJP, accusing it of minimizing the delimitation issue and asserting that a freeze for 30 years is necessary due to demographic changes between Southern and Northern states. This call for participation appears as a bid for equal parliamentary representation and safeguarding state rights.

CM Stalin emphasized that the discussion is critical not only for adjusting MP numbers but protecting state rights, urging opposition solidarity. His video message clarified that, barring the BJP, all opposition parties have united on this front.

Conversely, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya accused the DMK of leveraging delimitation and the NEP's language policies for electoral advantages in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, criticizing the ruling DMK for corruption and lack of development.

The Tamil Nadu BJP has echoed this sentiment with party chief K. Annamalai dismissing the delimitation uproar as a manufactured controversy, aligning it with larger national political strategies like 'One Nation One Election', setting the stage for ongoing debates.

This meeting, boycotted by the BJP, marks a pivotal step as Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin continues to rally opposition forces in defense of fair representation and state autonomy ahead of imminent demographic shifts.

(With inputs from agencies.)