'This 543 need not change': Kamal Haasan says current Lok Sabha seats are sufficient

Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan has opposed changes to the existing number of Lok Sabha seats, stating that the current 543 members are sufficient to lead the country. His remarks came after an all-party meeting chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on the contentious issue of delimitation.

“My opinion is that this 543 (seats) need not change. Even when it was 145 crore, these 543 members led the country to this position today...they are sufficient,” Haasan said. He suggested that if an increase in the number of representatives was necessary, it should be done at the state level. “If at all, they have to increase the number of seats, all government decisions made in the Centre are executed by the states. If at all they want to increase the number of people's representatives, let the Assembly seats be increased.”

The meeting, attended by opposition parties including the Congress, AIADMK, and Left parties, resolved to form a Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising MPs and party representatives from southern states to oppose the proposed delimitation exercise. Stalin insisted that if Parliament seats were to be increased, the 1971 Census should be used as the basis, requiring a constitutional amendment. “The delimitation sword is hanging over the head of South India, and Tamil Nadu will be severely affected,” he warned.

The DMK and other parties fear that delimitation based on the latest population data will reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament. Stalin argued that the state should not be “punished” for effectively implementing population control policies over the years. “The Centre declined to heed to the voice of the state, which has 39 Lok Sabha MPs. In case this number was reduced, it would become a big injustice for the state,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has sought to allay concerns, stating that the delimitation exercise will not affect the number of seats in southern states. However, Stalin and other southern leaders, including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, have questioned the basis of Shah's claim. The DMK has demanded clarity on whether the exercise will be conducted based on population, existing constituency strength, or another formula.

The BJP, Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) boycotted the meeting. The ruling DMK, however, has indicated that it is prepared to take the fight to the national level, with Stalin asserting that Tamil Nadu will not accept any reduction in its political representation.