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DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran on Friday questioned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's reported change in position on delimitation, asking, "Why did the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister do a somersault?" and suggesting that the shift came after Vijay's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Southern Zonal Council meeting, Maran said the DMK had maintained a consistent position against any delimitation exercise that could alter the existing representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha. He also said a major national party had earlier come to Tamil Nadu and alleged that those supporting delimitation in any form were "traitors of Tamil Nadu", in an apparent reference to the DMK and its allies. He said the DMK had subsequently made it clear that it had not changed its position and that no delimitation Bill was expected to be introduced during the Monsoon Session. According to Maran, the Tamil Nadu government subsequently convened an all-party meeting of MPs, following which a resolution was passed seeking a freeze on delimitation of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. He said the Tamil Nadu Assembly later passed a similar resolution, with the DMK supporting the demand. Maran, however, alleged that Vijay's position changed after his recent meeting with Amit Shah. "After two resolutions in Tamil Nadu -- one at the all-party MPs' meeting and one in the Assembly -- seeking no delimitation, he changed his stand to seeking fair delimitation," Maran said. The DMK MP also questioned the Congress over what he described as differing positions on delimitation across southern states. "The DMK asks the Congress to come out clearly with its stand: in Karnataka, you want a freeze; in Andhra, you want delimitation; and in Tamil Nadu, you want a freeze," he said. Maran further questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the political rhetoric surrounding the issue. "So we would like to ask Mr Rahul Gandhi: whom did you call a traitor? Are you calling Mr Vijay a traitor?" he asked. He also questioned the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership over the apparent difference between the Congress' position and that of the state's Chief Minister. "When your leader said no delimitation, why is your alliance partner, the Chief Minister, now asking for fair delimitation?" Maran said. Taking a direct swipe at Vijay, Maran asked whether his meeting with Amit Shah had prompted the alleged change in position. "How can the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister keep changing his stance? Or did he get scared after meeting Amit Shah? What happened there for him to change his stance? Why did he do a somersault?" he said. Maran also linked the issue to the long-running Cauvery water dispute and Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project. He said that when the Karnataka Chief Minister spoke about cooperation and water sharing and maintained that the Mekedatu dam should be constructed, Vijay did not raise any objection during the interaction. "When the Karnataka Chief Minister spoke about cooperation and water sharing and said the Mekedatu dam has to be constructed, our Tamil Nadu Chief Minister kept mum and did not say a word," Maran alleged. He questioned the Tamil Nadu government's position on both issues, saying, "So, we would like to know: what is the stand of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister?" The remarks come amid a broader political debate over delimitation and its potential impact on parliamentary representation. Southern states have raised concerns over any exercise that could alter the existing balance of Lok Sabha seats, while political parties continue to debate how representation should be determined in the future. (ANI)
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