Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections: MK Stalin objects to 2011 Census basis for women's quota

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday opposed implementing women's reservation in Parliament and state assemblies based on the 2011 Census, alleging the move was aimed at electoral gains in the upcoming Assembly polls in four states.

"Pushing such an important step when the Model Code of Conduct is already in force is unprecedented," he said in a post on X. "Recent reports suggest women's representation in Parliament and legislative assemblies is being considered based on the 2011 Census. This is not in line with The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed by the Union government, and its stated position that the initiative would follow delimitation based on a post-2026 Census."

He reiterated support for women's reservation without preconditions, while stressing the need for fair delimitation.


"As DMK president and an inheritor of the Dravidian legacy that has championed women's empowerment for over a century, I fully support women's reservation without any preconditions, while also asserting our right to fair delimitation," Stalin said.

The Chief Minister also called for constitutional safeguards to preserve the current proportional representation of states for the next 30 years.

"It is our consistent stand that the present share of representation of states must not be disturbed under any circumstances. Delimitation and allocation of constituencies among states must include a constitutional provision to ensure this for the next 30 years," he said.

Citing the Model Code of Conduct and prevailing political circumstances, he urged the Centre to convene a special session of Parliament in early June.