Chennai: The Congress leadership is working to ensure the DMK votes against a proposed constituency delimitation bill when it comes up in Parliament, according to reports.
The BJP-led Union government is said to be preparing to re-table the Lok Sabha constituency delimitation bill in the current session, after it was defeated in Parliament in April. Following Assembly elections in five states, several MPs from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction in Maharashtra are reported to have shifted support towards the BJP, taking the NDA’s strength in the Lok Sabha to 318.
The report says the NDA would need the backing of 42 more MPs to pass the bill. In this backdrop, the BJP is said to be attempting to secure support from the DMK, which has 22 MPs. It is also claimed that the DMK may consider backing the bill if it includes a provision to increase seats by 50% across all states.
Even if the DMK does not vote in favour, abstaining from the vote could still help the BJP’s numbers. Congress, therefore, is trying to ensure the DMK votes against the bill.
As part of this effort, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh is reported to have held talks with DMK deputy general secretary and the party’s parliamentary group leader Kanimozhi. Kanimozhi is said to have expressed displeasure, citing Rahul Gandhi’s indirect criticism of the DMK during his Chennai visit, while Jairam Ramesh reportedly argued that the DMK should not step back from opposing the BJP in Delhi.
