Thirty-seven out of 57 Tamil Nadu parliamentarians boycotted the consultative meeting on the Delimitation Bill 2026 convened by Chief Minister C Vijay Joseph
The boycott was spearheaded by the DMK and AIADMK, with all 30 DMK MPs and four AIADMK MPs refusing to attend the session
DMK MP Kanimozhi termed the meeting unnecessary, accusing the TVK-led state government of attempting to divert attention from the crucial Cauvery water-sharing dispute
37 MPs Boycott Tamil Nadu Delimitation Bill Consultative Meeting
DMK and AIADMK MPs stayed away from the consultative meeting, with the Opposition accusing the TVK-led government of using the exercise to divert attention from the Cauvery dispute.
Summary
As many as 37 out of 57 Tamil Nadu MPs boycotted a consultative meeting convened by Chief Minister C Vijay Joseph on SaturdayThe gathering aimed to deliberate on the proposed Delimitation Bill 2026 and included both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members from the state.
Only 20 parliamentarians were scheduled to participate. The abstaining representatives alleged that the TVK-led government organised the session to shift focus away from the ongoing Cauvery water-sharing dispute.
These attendance figures highlighted a lack of consensus on the chief minister's initiative.
Attendance and Boycott Breakdown
The boycott was primarily led by the DMK and the AIADMK. All 30 DMK MPs and all four AIADMK MPs remained absent from the discussions.
The PMK, MNM and DMDK also joined the protest. Each of these three parties had one MP stay away.
The 20 attending parliamentarians largely represented the Congress, which saw 12 MPs present. The VCK, CPI and CPI(M) sent two representatives each. The MDMK and IUML each had one MP participate.
The Cauvery Diversion Allegation
According to the report, DMK MP Kanimozhi described the all-party meeting convened by Joseph as "unnecessary". She said the gathering was a deliberate diversion from the Cauvery issue.
She further said the Union government has not officially announced whether the delimitation legislation will be tabled during the current Parliament session. Because the amended draft remains unavailable, she said there is nothing new to discuss.
The Cauvery dispute is a decades-old water-sharing conflict between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The friction has recently intensified over Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, which Tamil Nadu opposes. To resolve the issue, Joseph has proposed a dialogue between the two states.
Delimitation Bill Concerns
The proposed delimitation exercise has sparked fears across the region. Political leaders anticipate that the move could reduce parliamentary representation and lower the seat count for southern states like Tamil Nadu.
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Speculation is growing that the Union government intends to reintroduce the legislation in the upcoming monsoon session. The government has stated it is willing to bring the delimitation bill during a special three-day sitting after Independence Day, Hindustan Times reported.
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