TN Assembly Adopts CM Vijay's Resolution to Fix Lok Sabha Strength at 543

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in Chennai on Wednesday adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay that urges the Central Government to permanently fix the strength of the Lok Sabha at 543 members. The resolution further calls for the immediate implementation of a 33 per cent reservation for women in the next Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2029, calculated using the current lower house strength of 543 seats.

Introducing the resolution in the Assembly chamber, Chief Minister Vijay stated that the 33 per cent reservation for women must not be delayed any longer. Advocating for the timely rollout of the quota in the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister underscored the necessity of establishing women's political representation in the lower house of Parliament without further deferral.

Framing the policy as an essential right rather than an act of benevolence, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay declared his stance clearly during his speech in the House. "Reservation for women is not a concession, it is their democratic right," the Chief Minister asserted while explaining the rationale behind linking the quota to the present 543 Lok Sabha seats.

The resolution also focused on the broader implications of the proposed parliamentary delimitation on states across the country. Chief Minister Vijay stated in his resolution that it is the Centre's duty to guarantee that no State that implemented population control programmes is adversely affected by any upcoming delimitation proposal.

Once the Chief Minister had officially moved the resolution, Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar directed the proceedings by inviting MLAs to speak on the motion. Speaker Prabhakar asked the lawmakers present in the Assembly to make it known whether they supported or opposed the resolution introduced by the Chief Minister.

Among those participating in the subsequent debate, MLAs belonging to the Left parties spoke on the floor of the House. The Left party legislators offered their support for Chief Minister Vijay's resolution concerning the Lok Sabha strength, women's reservation timelines, and protection for states following demographic planning.