Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 7: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, may support the Centre if the Delimitation Bill is brought before Parliament again, but the party has placed three key conditions, sources said.
The first demand of the DMK is the extension of the freeze on Lok Sabha seat allocation based on the 1971 Census. The party has sought a Constitutional amendment to continue the freeze for another 25 years beyond 2027.
The second condition is that all states should receive a uniform 50 per cent increase in Lok Sabha seats. The DMK has reportedly sought implementation of this demand based on an assurance allegedly given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah when the bill was introduced earlier.
The party has also demanded that the Centre release the complete list of revised Lok Sabha constituencies across all states along with the proposed legislation.
DMK sources said the party would consider supporting the bill if the three conditions are accepted. However, the final decision will be taken by the party leadership after reviewing the final draft and its provisions.
The DMK had earlier strongly opposed the Delimitation Bill, arguing that it would disadvantage southern states due to their population control measures compared to other regions.
The issue has gained renewed attention following political developments in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 Assembly elections and the reported end of the DMK-Congress alliance after Congress joined hands with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha to pass the Delimitation Bill, which aims to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 for implementing the women’s reservation law.
The NDA currently has 319 members in the Lok Sabha. If DMK’s 22 MPs support the bill, the alliance strength would increase to 341, still short of the required two-thirds majority of 360.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has denied reports of a special Parliament session from August 16 to 18 for discussing the Delimitation Bill, stating that no such proposal was under consideration.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to end on August 13.