The Tamil Nadu government is preparing to bring a resolution in the state Assembly opposing any proposal to undertake delimitation, following an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday.

The meeting was attended by 19 MPs from the ruling TVK-led alliance and parties supporting the government, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), MDMK and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Leaders of the CPI and CPI(M) also participated.

According to sources, the parties agreed that Tamil Nadu should maintain the existing arrangement of elected seats and oppose any exercise that could alter the state's representation. They argued that the state should not face a reduction or restructuring of its political representation for at least the next four to five decades.

ALL-PARTY GROUP BACKS STATUS QUO

Congress MP Jothimani said the participating parties had reached a common position against delimitation.

She praised Vijay for calling the consultation and said the proposed exercise could have implications for democratic representation and Tamil Nadu's political interests.

The participating MPs maintained that the current number of elected representatives should remain unchanged and that the state should collectively resist any move to redraw constituencies.

DMK SKIPS MEETING

The Opposition DMK, however, stayed away from the consultation.

DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioned the chief minister's priorities and said the government should instead focus on the dispute surrounding Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project.

The absence of the DMK means that the meeting did not represent the participation of all major political parties in the state, despite the government's attempt to build a broader consensus on the delimitation issue.

The state government's proposed Assembly resolution is expected to formally articulate Tamil Nadu's opposition to any immediate delimitation exercise.