'Have babies soon': MK Stalin's advice to couples amid delimitation row

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has hit back at the Centre once again and this time with a subtle jab. He advised newlywed couples in the southern state to plan families immediately in order to give Tamil Nadu an advantage during the delimitation exercise.

Speaking at the wedding of a DMK district leader in Nagapattinam, Stalin told the couple that they have babies immediately and give them good Tamil names. He pointed out that with the Narendra Modi government planning a delimitation exercise, he cannot ask them to take time for family planning.

"We succeeded in family planning and hence got pushed into the current situation. So I would urge the newlyweds to have babies soon," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said.

Stalin had earlier said delimitation exercise that draws bounderies of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on the population would put southern states at a disadvantage. This is because the population growth of southern states have declined compared to the north, according to Stalin. He said Tamil Nadu would loss eight MPs if delimitations happens, reducing its representation in the Parliament.

He had earlier called a meeting of 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission to discuss the implications of constituency delimitation. After some political parties decided to skip the meeting, Stalin urged them to attend, saying, "Please set aside ego. Don't think why you should listen to my call. This is not a problem of DMK, it is a problem of this state and its rights."

The delimitation process is based on Articles 82 and 170 of the Indian Constitution. Article 82 stipulates that Parliament must enact a Delimitation Act after each census to redraw the borders of Lok Sabha seats while Article 170 stipulates the same for state assembly seats.