Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly condemned the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) “illogical and baseless” objections to the Centre’s upcoming delimitation exercise, terming it a constitutionally mandated process aimed at ensuring fair representation for all citizens.
BJP Telangana Chief Spokesperson and Media In-Charge, N V Subash, said the DMK’s accusations are not only factually incorrect but also stem from political insecurity after losing support on the ground. “Delimitation is neither arbitrary nor politically motivated. It is a constitutional obligation, clearly laid out under Articles 82 and 170 of the Indian Constitution,” he stated.
He explained that delimitation is the process of redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituency boundaries to reflect changes in population and ensure equitable representation. “In simple terms, larger populations mean more representatives. That is the very spirit of representative democracy,” Subash added.
He reminded that under Article 82, the Parliament is required to pass a Delimitation Act after every national census. Article 170 provides for similar changes at the state level. Delimitation exercises were carried out in 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.
Subash also pointed out that the seat allocation freeze imposed by Indira Gandhi during the 1976 Emergency, under the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, was intended to prevent states that promoted family planning from losing representation. “That freeze continued even after the 2001 Census, with only constituency boundaries redrawn, but not the number of seats, primarily due to resistance from southern states.”
He said following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had rightly announced the Centre’s intent to initiate both a national census and a fresh delimitation to address imbalances that have emerged over decades.
Responding to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s remarks targeting the BJP and its ally, AIADMK, Subash said: “The AIADMK stands with the Union Government because it recognises the long-pending need for delimitation. It is not a punishment for any state — as the DMK claims — but a constitutional necessity to reflect demographic realities.”
Subash further said the DMK’s opposition reeks of political paranoia. “They fear electoral defeat in the coming Assembly elections, and so they are desperately trying to mislead the public by questioning a process anchored in constitutional mandate.”
He also criticized the double standards of the DMK and Congress, saying: “These parties swear by the Constitution when it suits their agenda, but have no hesitation insulting it when the BJP-led NDA government takes steps for course correction.”
