TN: BJP's boycott of all-party meet on delimitation will not send good signal, says AIADMK

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 1 (ANI): AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan on Saturday said that the BJP's decision to boycott the all-party meeting on delimitation's impact on Tamil Nadu 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 has 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.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai informed Chief Minister MK Stalin in a letter to him on Saturday that his party will boycott 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.
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.
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 delimitation process.
Meanwhile, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said on Saturday that his party has raised its voice against delimitation 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," Siva told ANI.
"Even when the new Parliament building was constructed, it was aimed to house 1000 members in the Lok Sabha... 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. (ANI)