Southern states will lose seats in delimitation, northern states will have more seats: DMK's Tiruchi Siva

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 1 (ANI): DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Saturday claimed that the delimitation process will disadvantage southern states, adding that his party has raised its voice on the issue at the right time.
"We have raised our voice at the right time against delimitation. If it is done, the southern states will lose seats and there will be more seats in the northern states. Even when the new Parliament building was constructed, it was aimed to house 1,000 members in the Lok Sabha," Siva told ANI.
"It is expected that after delimitation, the strength in Lok Sabha will reach around 840... In case of any bill or amendment which is brought, it will be decided by a majority. So when they (northern states) soar high, and we (southern states) go less, our representation will reduce," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP has decided not to take part in the all-party meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on the issue of delimitation.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai informed Stalin in a letter that his party will not take part in the all-party meeting convened on March 5.
Annamalai accused Stalin of having misconstrued the delimitation exercise and of spreading "imaginary fears" and deliberately lying about it.
"We must clarify the ill-conceived misconceptions cited in your letter inviting us to the meeting through our letter. We firmly believe that you have misconstrued the delimitation exercise and have convened this all-party meeting to spread your imaginary fears and deliberately lie about it even before the means and methods through which the exercise is planned to be carried out are officially rolled out," Annamalai said in the letter.
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said that the BJP's decision to boycott the all-party meeting will not send a good or right signal.
He also alleged a "secret understanding" between the BJP and DMK.
"BJP not participating will not send a good or right signal. If Amit Shah had assured that the number of (Lok Sabha) seats for Tamil Nadu will not be reduced and Tamil Nadu will not be affected by delimitation, then the same should have been reiterated in the all-party meeting so that people get reassurance," Sathyan told ANI.
"Not participating in that meeting clearly indicates that the BJP is playing into the hands of the DMK to create its own political narrative. Both are hand in glove, that is what is coming out. We have been saying that there is a secret understanding between the two," he added.
On Friday, Stalin urged the people to "rise" to defend the state in a fight against the delimitation of constituencies and the three-language policy.
Sharing a video message, Tamil Nadu CM said that the state is confronting two critical challenges, one of language and the other is the fight against delimitation.
On the three-language policy issue, MDMK General Secretary Vaiko told ANI that if there is an agitation, he "will be at the front".
Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at a BJP programme in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, that the southern states will not be disadvantaged by the delimitation process. (ANI)