New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Wednesday voiced his “complete support” for the special resolution moved in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister Vijay, which urges the Central Government to freeze the total number of Lok Sabha seats at the current strength of 543.
The Congress leader argued that expanding the size of the legislature would hinder its efficiency rather than strengthen democratic values.
“I completely support that resolution. A larger Parliament will be a less effective Parliament. A large parliament does not mean it is serving democracy better,” Chidambaram told ANI.
The MP further emphasized that the current balance of representation between various states must remain undisturbed to ensure federal fairness.
“We should cap parliament and also maintain the same ratio of the states in terms of representation as it stands today,” he added.
This comes after the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution against the proposed Delimitation exercise.
Speaking in the Assembly while moving the resolution, CM Vijay said, “The 33% reservation for women should be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections itself, based on the existing 543 constituencies. The 33% reservation for women should not be delayed any further. In Tamil Nadu, more women have voted than men. Providing reservations for women is not a concession; it is a matter of social justice. The 33% reservation for women must be implemented without any further delay.”
In the resolution the Tamil Nadu Government urged the Union Government to, Permanently retain the total number of Lok Sabha members at 543 as it is now, permanently retain the inter-state allocation of Lok Sabha seats based on the current proportion of representation, maintain the current ratio of 2.2:1 between population and states and implement the 33% reservation for women in the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the current 543 constituencies, even before the Women’s Reservation Bill is implemented.
The resolution passed by the Assembly seeks to protect the political representation of southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, arguing that their success in population control should not lead to a reduction in their voice in Parliament.
The resolution points out that while a constitutional amendment bill proposes to increase the number of Lok Sabha members from 550 to 850 based on the 2011 census, such a move would be detrimental to states that have followed national directives on population management.
Through the resolution, the Tamil Nadu government has placed four major demands before the Union Government.
First, the total number of Lok Sabha members should be permanently retained at the current 543. Second, the inter-state allocation of Lok Sabha seats must be frozen based on the current proportion of representation. Third, the existing ratio of 2.2:1 between population and states must be maintained, and fourth, a 33 per cent reservation for women should be implemented in the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the current 543 constituencies. (ANI)
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