MK Stalin has yet to unveil his cards. Prior to the Monsoon Session, which begins next Wednesday, both the opposition INDIA alliance and the ruling NDA are considering his DMK.
Stalin informed his MPs during a meeting on Thursday that the party is waiting for the proposed Delimitation Bill.The DMK president stated during the virtual meeting that Tamil Nadu's interests and the party's ideology will take precedence above political affiliations.According to sources, the DMK will choose its position on an issue-by-issue basis rather than immediately siding with the BJP or the Congress.According to sources, the DMK won't make a final decision on the Delimitation Bill until the government makes the proposed legislation's text public.
If the Center tries again to pass the Delimitation Bill, Stalin's 22 Lok Sabha seats would be crucial to the plans of both the government and the opposition in Parliament.
The DMK was the most outspoken opponent of the measure when it was introduced in Parliament in April. Party officials burned copies of the bill, wore black to Parliament, and voted against it, which ultimately resulted in the bill's rejection.
Since April, a lot has changed
Both the DMK and its main ally, the Congress, lost the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The BJP now aims to woo the Southern party for issue-based support in Parliament as a result of the acrimonious DMK-Congress split.
Since the DMK does not want to be seen sitting near to the Congress, it has already requested a different seating arrangement in the House from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Additionally, the party abstained from last month's INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi.
The BJP will benefit from all of this. According to sources, the ruling party intends to resubmit the modified Delimitation Bill during the Monsoon Session in an effort to win over DMK MPs.According to sources, the administration may introduce the new bill with guarantees of a consistent 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats throughout all states. During the discussion, the opposition insisted on including the 50% cap in the bill's wording.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP, another ally of the INDIA alliance, has also indicated that it would back the bill if the 50% restriction is included. "Give the 50 percent seats increase condition on paper, then we will discuss," Supriya Sule stated on Wednesday.