DMK hails move to freeze number of seats

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 2. The DMK president and Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi has welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to introduce in the winter session of Parliament, a Constitution Amendment Bill to freeze the number of seats in Parliament and State Assemblies till 2026.

In a statement here, Mr. Karunanidhi said states like Tamil Nadu, which had successfully implemented the family welfare programme, had feared that it might be penalised if a delimitation of the constituencies was taken up based on the 1991 census, resulting in a reduction in its existing number of seats.

Stating that the DMK had already adopted a resolution pressing for freezing the number of MPs and MLAs constituencies at the present level for another 50 years, Mr. Karunanidhi said his party's senior leader in Parliament, Mr. Murasoli Maran, had even introduced a private member's bill in the Rajya Sabha, but to no avail.

``Now that the NDA Government at the Centre had agreed to a modified version of Mr. Maran's proposal, the DMK is both thankful and happy,'' Mr. Karunanidhi said, adding, the Centre's decision will also enthuse states like Tamil Nadu to further implement the family welfare programme without any apprehension of the number of Parliamentary and Assembly seats from the state being reduced.

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Section  : Southern States
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