Now Reading: DMK signals support for Delimitation Bill with seat freeze condition
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DMK signals support for Delimitation Bill with seat freeze condition
Three months after its cadres burnt copies of the Delimitation Bill on the streets, the DMK is quietly signalling it could vote for it. Party sources told The Federal that the support…
The Story in Brief
Three months after its cadres burnt copies of the Delimitation Bill on the streets, the DMK is quietly signalling it could vote for it. Party sources told The Federal that the support is conditional on extending the 1971 Census-based seat freeze by 25 years, or a flat 50% increase in seats for every state. The party also demands full transparency: the complete list of revised constituencies must be published alongside the legislation.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, introduced in April, sought to raise Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 but was defeated for lack of a two-thirds majority. The Modi government now needs regional parties like the DMK to muster the numbers. The DMK's reversal follows its loss of power in Tamil Nadu and a split with the Congress, freeing it to negotiate.
The Indian Opinion
The DMK's shift from burning effigies to bargaining over conditions may look like hypocrisy, but it reflects a pragmatic adjustment to changed electoral arithmetic. Critics will accuse the party of abandoning anti-BJP principles, yet the DMK is trying to protect Tamil Nadu's representation by any means available. The real test will come when the exact Bill text is tabled: will the BJP put Amit Shah's oral assurance into writing? And will DMK's base accept a deal that appears to benefit the Centre?
Source: thefederal.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
