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Saturday, Aug 18, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
S. Annamalai
MADURAI: The southern districts will have one representative less in the Lok Sabha and five less in the State Assembly. After delimitation, the number of Lok Sabha constituencies has come down to 10 from 11 in the nine districts. From 63 Assembly segments, the delimitation exercise, done on the basis of 2001 census figures, has cut five. The lone reserved Lok Sabha seat has been retained but the number of reserved Assembly constituencies has come down to eight from nine. In the public hearings on the draft proposal held here, representatives of various organisations expressed their concern over the absence of any reserved Lok Sabha seat in the southern districts. This has been addressed in the retention of Tenkasi (SC) in Tirunelveli district. The delimitation exercise is by and large welcomed by the people in as much as it has attempted to rationalise the constituencies on the basis of population. Virudhunagar district, which had six segments has gained one (Tiruchuli). But Sivaganga (4), Ramanathapuram (4), Theni (4), Tirunelveli (10), Tuticorin (6) and Kanyakumari (6) have all lost one Assembly segment each. Madurai (10) and Dindigul (7) have retained their number though some constituencies have been renamed. The reduction in the number of Lok Sabha seats and composition of some of the constituencies are a matter of concern for the residents. The argument of Puthiya Tamilagam, when a review of the draft proposal was taken up, was that every fourth district should have a reserved LS seat. There was also a demand to maintain status quo in the number of Assembly segments. There was strong opposition to the move to abolish Theni, Sedapatti, Mudukulathur, Ilayankudi, Cheranmahadevi, Sattankulam and Padmanabhapuram segments. While Mudukulathur and Padmanabhapuram have been retained, the others are left out. The omission of Ilayankudi, a constituency dominated by minority voters, is seen as “going against the spirit of Sachar Committee recommendations.” There was also objection to the inclusion of Arantangi and Alangudi segments in Pudukottai district with Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat, represented by the Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, and removal of Manamadurai segment. The loss of an LS seat meant loss of “lung power” for the region, which had been crying for development, said Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president S. Rethinavelu. The Madurai MP, P. Mohan, was of the view that delimitation had addressed the main issue of reserved constituency. But the boundaries of constituencies could have been decided in a practical manner, he said, pointing to the Theni Lok Sabha seat stretching from Samayanallur near Madurai to Lower Camp near Kumili, bordering Kerala.
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