Chennai: Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the campaign against what he termed a “black law” on Lok Sabha constituency delimitation has succeeded, and credited women for leading the effort.
In a video message, Stalin said the BJP-led Union government attempted to bring the move “in disguise” as a women’s reservation initiative, and claimed women were at the forefront in defeating what he called a deceptive plan. He also alleged the attempt was meant to create a North–South divide.
Stalin said the outcome amounts to only a “half victory” and argued that a constitutional amendment is needed to defer any change in the number of constituencies until 2051. He also attacked AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, saying his camp had suffered a setback ahead of elections.
DMK MP Kanimozhi echoed the charge, saying the delimitation proposal was clubbed with the 33% women’s reservation bill as a conspiracy against women, and insisted the quota should be implemented based on the current strength. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss and former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai condemned Stalin and the DMK, while the BJP’s state unit accused the DMK-Congress alliance of undermining women’s political rights and said the Modi government would pass the women’s reservation bill soon.
