Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday wrote a letter to the chief ministers of other states, expressing concern over the Union government’s proposed delimitation exercise.

He warned that the exercise could diminish the influence of states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully controlled their population, in shaping the nation’s future. Stalin pointed out that the previous delimitation exercises were conducted in 1952, 1963, and 1973, but were frozen by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 until the first census after 2000. The freeze was extended in 2002 until the census after 2026. However, with the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation process might happen earlier than expected, potentially affecting states that have controlled their population and achieved better governance.