DMK set to host first Joint Action Committee meeting of States over delimitation on March 22

It is more than a meeting that will shape the future of the country to achieve fair delimitation, says Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK is all set to host its first meeting of States over delimitation here on March 22 and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said it was more than a meeting, which marked the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of the country to achieve fair delimitation.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrived here to take part in the meeting, to be held under the auspices of the DMK proposed Joint Action Committee (JAC) and Chief Ministers of Punjab and Telangana, Bhagwant Mann and Revanth Reddy respectively, are among the leaders expected to take part in the deliberations. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, and Punjab are the seven States the DMK reached out to for the meeting.

“A historic day for Indian federalism,! Stalin said on the eve of the meeting and BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai alleged the meeting on delimitation was a “delusional drama.”

Stalin said: “I extend my warmest welcome to the leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal & Punjab who are joining us for the Joint Action Committee meeting on #FairDelimitation.” Describing the DMK-led all-party meeting held here on March 5 as a “landmark moment,” in which as many as 58 parties participated by putting aside difference for a single cause, the chief minister said, “this overwhelming consensus reflected Tamil Nadu’s unwavering commitment” to democracy and justice.

Further, Stalin said: “Building on this historic unity, our MPs and Ministers actively engaged with leaders from other affected states, strengthening our collective resolve. What started as Tamil Nadu’s initiative has now grown into a national movement, with states across India joining hands to demand fair representation. This is a defining moment in our collective journey. This is more than a meeting — it is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country. Together, we will achieve #FairDelimitation!

In a separate video message, Stalin also said that if Tamil Nadu and other States lose representation in Parliament due to the proposed delimitation, it would strike at the very foundation of federalism, erode democracy, and lead to compromise of rights.

BJP leader Annamalai said in a social media post: “Tomorrow, while TN CM Thiru @mkstalin orchestrates his delusional drama on Delimitation, we hope he will play this speech of DMK Minister Thiru TM Anbarasan to his I.N.D.I. Alliance partners. It’s as if the DMK Ministers have made a collective decision to insult and abuse our brothers and sisters of northern India.”

Annamalai posted a video clip of State Minister Anbarasan’s purported speech, which had an “insulting” comparison, on increase in population in northern States.

The DMK regime has been at loggerheads with the BJP-led Centre over several issues including the non-release of education funds by the Union government and the proposed delimitation exercise is a fresh point of disagreement.

Opposition to the National Education Policy, NEET, and alleged Hindi imposition are among the issues in which the DMK is cornering the BJP-led Centre. When the Tamil Nadu government days ago used the Tamil letter ‘Roo’ (for promotional material on the State budget 2025-26) to denote Rupee it led to a big debate.

Following the Enforcement Directorate’s recent Rs 1,000 crore TASMAC (State-owned liquor corporation) scam allegation, the fight between the BJP and DMK appeared to be intensifying.

On the outside portion of a liquor shop in western Tamil Nadu, BJP cadres fixed Chief Minister Stalin’s framed photo and DMK workers paid back in the same coin by fixing Annamalai’s posters.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had assured that southern States would not lose a “single Parliamentary seat” and accused Stalin of spreading “misinformation,” on March 21, 2025, said: “There have been enough divisions in the nation in the name of language, and it should not happen anymore.”

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Shah said every Indian language is a treasure for the country. “Hindi is not in competition with any Indian language, it is only a friend of other languages,” he said.

On March 5, 2025, Stalin had said that the 1971 population should be the basis for delimitation of LS seats for 30 years from 2026 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make an assurance in the Parliament.

The JAC is to take forward such demands and create awareness among the people. Tamil Nadu’s present representational percentage in Parliament, which is 7.18, should not be changed under any circumstances, the all-party meeting had urged.