Chennai, August 12, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday urged the Centre to permanently retain the Lok Sabha’s existing strength of 543 seats and implement the 33 per cent reservation for women from the 2029 general election without linking it to an increase in the number of parliamentary constituencies.
Vijay said the women’s quota should be implemented within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha and should not be delayed because of a future delimitation exercise or other procedural requirements.
“Reservation for women is not a concession, it is their democratic right,” the Chief Minister said, stressing the need for greater representation of women in Parliament.
He also voiced concern that States which have successfully implemented population-control measures could lose their relative representation if Lok Sabha constituencies are redrawn primarily on the basis of population.
In a resolution tabled in the Assembly, Vijay said the Union government must ensure that States that have effectively implemented population-control programmes are not disadvantaged during any future delimitation exercise.
Tamil Nadu and several other southern States have expressed concerns that a population-based redistribution of Lok Sabha seats could reduce their proportional representation compared with States that have recorded higher population growth.
The resolution calls for the total strength of the Lok Sabha to remain permanently fixed at 543 seats while ensuring that the constitutional provision for 33 per cent reservation for women is implemented within the existing strength of the House.
During the Assembly debate, legislators belonging to the Left parties supported the resolution. The DMDK also welcomed the proposal to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation and backed the demand for immediate implementation of the women’s reservation.
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