Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Calls for Permanent Lok Sabha Strength and 33% Reservation for Women

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday moved a resolution in the Assembly calling on the Centre to retain the Lok Sabha’s strength at 543 seats permanently. Vijay also backed the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women, asserting in the resolution that the proposed quota should be calculated based on the existing strength of 543 seats in the lower house. The chief minister said that 33 per cent reservation for women must not be delayed anymore and asserted that "reservation for women is not a concession, it is their democratic right". Reacting to the resolution, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the move aligns with the long-standing position previously advocated by the DMK. Speaking to ANI on the resolution, Elangovan recalled how similar measures in the past saved Tamil Nadu's political weightage. "What happened last time, they had pegged the number of seats in each state to the existing number. That is why we still have 39. Otherwise, we would have lost seats even during the last delimitation," Elangovan said. The DMK leader suggested that the resolution brought by Chief Minister Vijay mirrors the logic and demands already raised by his party. "Maybe that is what he wanted now. So, what we said, he is following... They might have discussed what happened during the last delimitation process that should continue. Maybe that is the reason he is bringing in a resolution to that effect," he added.