Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah extends support to T.N. CM Stalin’s effort to oppose delimitation

Congress government in Karnataka supports Tamil Nadu CM's opposition to delimitation exercise, decision on attending meeting pending.

The Congress government in Karnataka has extended support to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s effort to raise the issue of delimitation exercise that is expected to put southern States in a disadvantageous position even as it has not spelt out its decision on attending the March 22 meeting convened by Mr. Stalin.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended his support to Mr. Stalin’s effort during his meeting with Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy and Rajya Sabha member M.M. Abdulla, who called on him here on Wednesday (March 12, 2025). The Tamil Nadu delegation sought Mr. Siddaramaiah’s support in protests on the issue. Before the meeting with the delegation, Mr. Stalin spoke to Mr. Siddaramaih on the phone and discussed the same.

A note from the Chief Minister’s Office here said that Mr. Siddaramaiah extended support to the Southern states’ opposition to the delimitation exercise. “Any effort by the Centre that hurts the interest of Karnataka or undermine the philosophy of federalism enshrined in the constitution will be condemned. On these issues, we will extend our support,” the CM said in a statement.

In a letter to Mr. Siddaramaiah, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister sought his formal consent to join the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Karnataka in the South, West Bengal and Odisha in the East and Punjab in North. He also sought the nomination of one senior representative from the Congress, who can serve on the JAC and help coordinate a unified strategy. He has sought a joint effort to examine the constitutional, legal and political dimensions to the challenge and develop alternatives to preserve the current representations in terms of per centage.

“This moment demands leadership and collaboration, rising above political differences and standing up for collective good. What is at stake is not any abstract principle-it is our states’ ability to secure rightful resources for development, to influence crucial policies on education and healthcare and to ensure economic priorities receive due attention in national agenda.” Post 2026, the situation may become drastically skewed if the delimitation exercise is conducted as per the next census population and those states which controlled population and achieved superior governance indicators will face an unjust punishment- reduced representation in the very forum where national policies are determined, Mr. Stalin warned in the letter.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters here that he would discuss with the party high command whether to attend the meeting convened on March 22 to oppose delimitation or not. “Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has taken the lead in mobilizing protest against the delimitation exercise. Mr. Stalin’s representatives have extended the invitation. We are an alliance partner with the ruling party in Tamil Nadu and we agree with their stance on the delimitation exercise. Since we are a national party, we need to discuss this with our party high command. We will decide on the next step after seeking their advice and the same has been communicated to the Tamil Nadu delegation. It is time we work together to uphold our self -respect.”