DMK open to talks on delimitation bill 'if Tamil Nadu interests not hurt'
The DMK party has signaled a potential willingness to support a constitutional amendment bill to increase Lok Sabha seats, provided the government guarantees that Tamil Nadu's political interests are protected. This shift could help the government secure the necessary two-thirds majority to pass the delimitation and women's reservation legislation.
Why it matters
The passage of this bill is critical for India's legislative future and the implementation of gender-based reservation laws, impacting the balance of power between northern and southern states.
NEW DELHI: In a likely breakthrough in govt's attempts to muster a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass the Constitution amendment bill to increase seats in Lok Sabha and implement women's reservation law from 2029, DMK, which has 22 members in Lok Sabha, said it is open to negotiation if govt can guarantee that the interests of Tamil Nadu and other southern states will not be compromised due to delimitation and if the respective share of states are spelt out in advance."Govt should explain the concrete share of each state to rule out any possibility of the southern states losing out and that can be the basis for talks," a senior DMK functionary told TOI. "No formal consultation with govt has happened yet.
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