Now Reading: Tamil Nadu minister demands PM from south, sparks row
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Tamil Nadu minister demands PM from south, sparks row
Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna has demanded that the next Prime Minister should come from a southern state, saying political power is not meant only for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. Speaking…
The Story in Brief
Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna has demanded that the next Prime Minister should come from a southern state, saying political power is not meant only for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. Speaking in the state assembly during a debate on an anti-delimitation resolution moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Arjuna alleged a 'north-south war' existed in India similar to the US Civil War under Abraham Lincoln.
He argued that a PM can currently be elected if five or six northern states come together, and this must change. The resolution, passed after a two-hour debate, urges the Centre to permanently fix Lok Sabha strength at 543 and implement 33 per cent women's reservation. The Congress ally TVK has faced criticism over the remarks, with some accusing it of deepening regional divides.
The Indian Opinion
The demand for a 'south Indian PM' feeds lazy north-vs-south narratives while ignoring that every region has produced Prime Ministers. India's federal structure already balances population-based representation with Rajya Sabha equality. What matters is not where a PM comes from but what policies they pursue. The real test will come when delimitation is actually taken up: will southern states accept reduced representation or push for alternate formulae like the 25-year freeze that Indira Gandhi and Vajpayee once backed? That number will settle whether this is genuine federal concern or political theatre.
Sources (2): deccanherald.com, timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
