The party is increasingly focused on advancing its own political interests after Congress joined hands with TVK.
A political buzz is gaining traction in New Delhi that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) could potentially support the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on the contentious issue of delimitation, though the party has not made any official statement indicating such a shift. A senior DMK source told The Sunday Guardian that amid growing differences within the INDIA bloc, particularly with the Congress following the Tamil Nadu Assembly election results, the party is increasingly focused on advancing its own political interests. According to the source, the DMK could consider supporting the government’s delimitation exercise if the NDA is willing to accommodate its key demands. Notably, the DMK has consistently opposed any delimitation exercise based solely on population, arguing that such a formula could significantly increase the parliamentary representation of northern states with higher population growth while diminishing the relative political weight of southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu. The party has been demanding that the existing constitutional freeze on Lok Sabha seats, based on the 1971 Census, be extended for another 25 years. It has also proposed a uniform 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states, instead of reallocating constituencies strictly according to population. In addition, the DMK has sought greater transparency from the Centre, including a clear and finalised state-wise allocation of constituencies under the proposed delimitation exercise. However, according to the DMK source, the key condition for the party’s support could be a constitutional guarantee protecting Tamil Nadu’s existing share of representation in the Lok Sabha. “If the NDA wants the DMK’s support on delimitation, it will have to agree to the party’s demand that Tamil Nadu’s existing 7.18 per cent share of MPs be protected through a constitutional amendment,” the source said. “If the BJP agrees to this condition, it could make it easier for the DMK to consider supporting the delimitation exercise.” Tamil Nadu currently has 39 Lok Sabha seats out of 543, accounting for 7.18 per cent of the House. Under the DMK’s proposed formula, the state’s share would remain fixed at 7.18 per cent even after an expansion of the Lok Sabha. If the strength of the House rises to 848, Tamil Nadu would have approximately 61 seats, while an expansion to 888 seats—the maximum seating capacity of the new Parliament chamber—would give the state around 64 seats. The proposed formula is aimed at ensuring that Tamil Nadu retains its existing proportion of parliamentary representation even if northern states gain a larger number of seats due to population growth. The DMK believes this would prevent any dilution of the state’s political influence and voting weight in Parliament. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai, speaking to The Sunday Guardian, reiterated the party’s opposition to population-based delimitation but declined to confirm whether the party would support a proposal incorporating the 7.18 per cent representation formula. “See, the DMK has come out with the demand for fair delimitation. We opposed the earlier bill because it was not fair. It was unfair. They wanted to do it on the basis of population. So, we will not accept any delimitation which is based on population,” Saravanan said. On the proposal to constitutionally protect Tamil Nadu’s 7.18 per cent representation, he said the party would not comment on a provision that has not yet been formally presented before Parliament. “We cannot speak on hypothetical issues. Let the Bill be tabled and put up for discussion. Only then will we be able to take a call. Before that, we cannot speculate,” he said. Asked about the party’s position if such a provision were incorporated into the proposed delimitation Bill, Saravanan reiterated that the DMK’s primary demand was for a fair exercise. “We have spelt out our stand very clearly. We will not allow any dilution of our share,” he said. Senior political analyst Ravindra Singh Sheoran, however, expressed scepticism about the possibility of the DMK ultimately backing the NDA on delimitation, citing the party’s political compulsions in Tamil Nadu. “I have doubts about the DMK backing any delimitation move because of the local political equations. Stalin is the strongest voice against the BJP in the entire South India and his voter base is largely anti-BJP,” Sheoran told the publication. He also questioned the practicality of the proposed 7.18 per cent formula, noting that the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has already taken a firm position against population-based delimitation. “The DMK-led Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution against delimitation and has demanded that the existing number of seats be maintained for the next 25 years,” he said. Notably, DMK’s position assumes significance given the numbers required to pass a constitutional amendment related to delimitation. In the 540-member Lok Sabha, a two-thirds majority would require 360 votes. The NDA’s current strength, even with the potential support of the DMK’s 22 Lok Sabha MPs, would rise to around 346, leaving the government 14 votes short if all members vote. However, the effective strength of the House could vary depending on the number of MPs present and voting, as well as possible abstentions. The government’s position could be comparatively stronger in the Rajya Sabha. If all 244 members are present and voting, 164 votes would be required to secure a two-thirds majority. The BJP-led NDA currently has 158 members in the Upper House, leaving it only a few votes short of the threshold. Against this backdrop, the DMK’s 22 Lok Sabha MPs could assume considerable importance if the government seeks to secure broader support for a constitutional amendment on delimitation. For now, however, the DMK maintains that it will take a final position only after the government formally introduces the Bill and its provisions become clear.
