Vijay also raised the issue of inter-state river disputes at the meeting. NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Joseph Vijay on Thursday raised concerns over the proposed Delimitation Bill, 2026, saying southern states could lose their share of representation in Parliament if seats are redistributed mainly according to population.
Speaking at the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, Vijay, who is also the council's vice-chairman, sought an assurance from the Centre that states which have successfully stabilised their populations would not be penalised through a reduction in their parliamentary representation. He said the issue had become particularly important as the freeze on the allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census nears its end."
As the freeze on the allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on the 1971 Census approaches its end and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, is considered, there is a genuine and shared concern across the Southern States that delimitation based predominantly on populations may diminish our collective voice in Parliament," he said. Vijay argued that southern states had achieved population control while also making progress in human development and economic growth.
He said these achievements should not result in the states receiving less political representation." The Southern States have been at the forefront of population stabilisation, human development, and economic growth.
These achievements reflect the successful implementation of national priorities and should not result in a reduction of our representation. Public policy must not inadvertently penalise States for fulfilling national objectives," he said.
He called for a legislative guarantee to ensure that the proportion of parliamentary seats held by any state would not fall because of its success in controlling population growth." I therefore, urge the Union Government to provide a clear legislative assurance that no State will suffer a reduction in its percentage of representation in Parliament on account of its success in population stabilisation.
Such an approach would uphold the principles of equity, preserve the federal balance envisioned by our Constitution, and reinforce the confidence of all States in our democratic institutions," he added. Southern states' delimitation concernSouthern states, particularly Tamil Nadu and Kerala, have for years raised concerns about a population-based delimitation exercise.
