CHENNAI (Tamil Nadu), Feb 26: On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reassured the southern states that they would not lose any “Parliamentary seat” due to delimitation, and he accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin of disseminating “misinformation” regarding the subject.
While inaugurating a party office and addressing BJP members in Chennai, Shah dismissed Stalin’s assertions of “injustice” in central fund allocations, emphasizing that the Narendra Modi government had allocated ₹5,08,337 crore to Tamil Nadu during the 2014-24 timeframe.
Shah’s comments came in response to Stalin’s remarks about how the delimitation process could affect the southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, which the Chief Minister claimed could lose 8 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats. An all-party meeting has been scheduled for March 5 to further discuss this concern.
“No southern state, including Tamil Nadu, will see a reduction in Parliamentary representation once delimitation is conducted on a pro rata basis… I assure the citizens of South India that Modi ji is committed to protecting your interests, ensuring that not a single seat is decreased pro rata. Any increase will be fairly distributed among southern states, so there’s no reason for skepticism,” Shah asserted.
He further noted that the Modi government had assured the Lok Sabha that no southern state would lose any seats post-delimitation, ensuring the interests of the southern populace would be prioritized.
Shah criticized the Tamil Nadu administration for “corruption and anti-national activities,” stating that residents were frustrated with various issues and that “the CM and his son (Udhayanidhi) are diverting public attention from real matters.”
The event, attended by state party chief Annamalai, Union minister L Murugan, and BJP National Secretary Arvind Menon, also saw Shah declare that in 2026, Tamil Nadu would witness the rise of an NDA government, marking a pivotal change.
He harshly criticized the ruling DMK government regarding law and order, declaring that “anti-national tendencies are at an unprecedented high in Tamil Nadu” and labeling it as having “the worst law and order situation in the country.” He pointed out that the state government provided security during the farewell of the 1998 bomb blast mastermind (SA Basha) and claimed that the drug mafia operated freely within the state while illegal mining was politicizing corruption.
“Every DMK leader seems to have a Master’s degree in corruption—one involved in a cash-for-job scam, another in money laundering, a third in disproportionate assets, a fourth in a coal scam, and the fifth linked to the ₹6,000 crore CRIDP scam. It’s apparent that DMK selects corrupt individuals through its membership drive,” he contended at the event.
Confronting the Chief Minister, Shah urged him to clarify data on fund distribution, stating: “Address my inquiries before the public. I present statistical evidence that the Modi government allocated ₹5,08,337 crore to Tamil Nadu, compared to only ₹1.52 lakh crore from the previous UPA government (2004-2014). You assert that the Modi government is unjust; rather, real injustice towards the state occurred during the UPA when you were part of that government.”
Additionally, he mentioned that the Centre provided ₹1.43 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu for infrastructure development.
Shah expressed his concern about the safety of female students in universities and noted that college students were losing their lives while opposing the sale of illegal liquor.
He expressed confidence that the NDA would emerge victorious in Tamil Nadu after the Assembly elections next year, expecting a victory larger than that achieved in Maharashtra and Haryana.
Shah also virtually inaugurated party offices in Tiruvannamalai and Ramanathapuram during the event.
In response, senior DMK leader and Lok Sabha member A Raja questioned the basis for the pro rata distribution.
“The issue lies in pro rata. It’s not about the number of seats, but rather on what basis pro rata is determined—whether by population or current MP/MLA constituency boundaries,” he stated at a press conference at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai.
He voiced concerns that Tamil Nadu might be “penalized” for adhering to the government’s population control recommendations.
While he acknowledged that Tamil Nadu might not see a reduction in Parliamentary seats as noted by the Centre, he indicated that other states might see an increase, potentially marginalizing Tamil Nadu’s influence on significant matters like NEET or jallikattu.
“We will rescind the (March 5) all-party meeting if it is announced that pro rata is based not on population but on the numerical strength of parliamentary constituencies,” Raja asserted.
In his address, Shah emphasized that Modi has cultivated a competitive spirit among all states, noting that since independence, Modi has made significant contributions to the Tamil language, culture, and the dignity of Tamil Nadu, highlighting the installation of the sacred Sengol (scepter) in the Parliament House as an honor to Tamil culture in the heart of Indian democracy,” he remarked.
Shah later participated in the Mahashivrathri celebrations hosted by Sadhguru’s Isha Yoga Center. (PTI)
