CHENNAI: With the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill that included Women’s Reservation and the delimitation defeated in Parliament on Friday, the DMK on Saturday said that it is just the trailer and the decline of the BJP has just begun.
The Centre needed a two-thirds majority to get the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed, but fell short of the mark. The proposed legislation saw 298 MPs voting in its favour and 200 voting against.
The introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, was aimed at enabling women’s reservation and facilitating delimitation.
DMK chief MK Stalin, who first burnt the copy of the delimitation Bill on April 16 and also hoisted black flag by wearing black shirt as a mark of protest, expressed happiness.
Stalin declared that the “bill against Tamil Nadu” has been defeated in Parliament and this victory is just a trailer of the State Assembly election.
He further declared that DMK will win more than 200 seats in the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu polls.
“The bill that came against Tamil Nadu has been defeated in Parliament is the news we got now. This victory is just a trailer. Next coming election is going to come. I’ve said it’s Tamil Nadu vs Delhi. We are going to win in more than 200 seats. Let us work continuously and win,” Stalin said.
His expressions were echoed by senior DMK leader and RS MP Tiruchi Siva, who, speaking to The Sunday Guardian, said, “We were very sure the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill would not be passed. We don’t know how they (BJP) were confident of bringing that.”
Siva said that they first want to make clear before the government makes projections that all opposition parties were against Women’s Reservation.
“Our party DMK has given 50 per cent reservation to women in local bodies. And also reservation in jobs in the state. We can never be against women. This is our core policy to empower women,” the DMK leader said.
He said that they were insisting that the women’s reservation should be given on the existing 543 seats.
“We were having apprehension that through the delimitation representation of southern states will sink,” he said.
Taking a jibe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shiva said that even the Home Minister also said that this is not 50 per cent also. Even 90 per cent is disputable.
“They consider 2011 census. Article 82 of the Constitution says, after every census delimitation should be done. It was not done after 2011.
He explained how Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee deferred delimitation for 25 years respectively during their tenure.
He said that in 1971, census happened and in 1976, Indira Gandhi froze it for 25 years and even in 2001 Vajpayee also postponed it, looking at how it will create a gap between the north and south.
Shiva said that now it is 2026, either the government should go for census or again postpone delimitation for 25 years.
He said that 2011 census means Tamil Nadu will get only 48 seats, while states like Bihar, UP, MP and others will get more power.
“So Parliament will come under their control. And in President, VP polls we will not have our say. We will not be able to compete,” Shiva explained.
He also said that southern states’ people will be considered as “second class citizens”.
“So at the right time our leader Stalin said that he was totally against the delimitation, and he clarified that he was with Women’s Reservation. He also burnt the bill copy and it was a daring act,” the DMK leader said, adding that Stalin, who is also the Chief Minister, wore a black shirt and every home hoisted black flags.
He further stated that all opposition parties shared the same view. “They shared our concern and many opposition parties of north India supported us,” he said.
He also said that this was the first time the BJP faced a major blow in Parliament.
“This is the first blow to the BJP government. If they think that they can do anything this won’t happen. This is slowing their power. They wanted to impose, and used Parliament as a rubber stamp. They never consulted opposition parties, never held discussion properly and the copy of the 131st Constitutional Amendment was given only 48 hours before. All things were becoming unacceptable, and this is where all opposition parties came together and won,” he said.
Shiva also said how his party’s manifesto, which has been titled Superstar, has reached the people of the state.
“Our manifesto has reached people very well. Our schemes and promises reached people. And we are very confident that we will win,” he said.
He also cautioned and warned the other parties in the state who did not oppose the Constitutional Amendment Bill, saying people of the state will teach them a good lesson in the state polls scheduled on April 23.
Meanwhile, DMK insiders feel that the defeat of the BJP government over the non-passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill that included delimitation with Women’s Reservation has given them an edge in the closely contested polls.
Sources said that the AIADMK, which has been facing internal rift, may face the anger of women, despite keeping focus on them in the manifesto.
The DMK manifesto introduced the Illatharasi Scheme, which provides homemakers with an Rs 8,000 coupon to purchase or exchange domestic appliances of their choice.
