PWD Minister Aadav Arjuna, speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly during a resolution opposing parliamentary constituency delimitation, said political differences should be set aside to protect the state’s rights. He thanked the DMK for supporting the resolution.
He noted that Tamil Nadu and Puducherry together have 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, and argued that a fresh delimitation would increase the number of MPs in Hindi-speaking states. He said this could make it possible for a Prime Minister to be decided by victories in a handful of states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, reducing the influence of southern states.
Arjuna called for the current number of constituencies to continue for the next 25 years and said Tamil Nadu should aim to produce a Prime Minister in the future. He urged all-party MPs from Tamil Nadu to vote against any such bill in Parliament.
He also claimed that even if Lok Sabha seats are increased by 50%, Tamil Nadu would still face a disadvantage. Pointing to fiscal issues, he said that for every rupee Tamil Nadu pays to the Centre, it receives only 29 paise through financial devolution, and argued that the state is unable to build adequate authority despite its development efforts.
