Bhubaneswar: Amid strong opposition in the South with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin criticising delimitation process by the Union Government, he invited BJD president and his former Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik seeking the regional party's support for his effort. 

A two-member DMK delegation comprising Central Chennai Lok Sabha Member Dayanidhi Maran and Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan met the BJD Supremo at his residence Naveen Niwas and invited him on behalf of DMK chief Stalin to attend a special meeting on delimitation scheduled to be held on March 26 in Chennai. 

Reports said that Patnaik expressed his concern over the population-based excercise. He reportedly assured the DMK members to participate at the meeting raising his voice against the 'unfair' process. 

"Odisha will be affected by the delimitation excercise. The ratio that we should have got in Parliament and Assembly will not happen proportionately. However, a party meeting in this regard will be held soon in Bhubaneswar to analyse the Pros and Cons of delimitation and how it will impact Odisha," said senior BJD leader Sanjay Dasburma after meeting. 

Notably, Centre is all set to carry out the delimitation of constituencies for the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies on the basis of the first Census after 2026. 

Oppposing the process, Stalin suggested the Centre to use population data from 1971 Census for the next 30 years while conducting the delimitation in 2026. 

Seeking support from CMs and former CMs of states likely to be affected by the delimitation process, the Tamil Nadu CM wrote to them on Friday last week, requesting their consent to join a Joint Action Committee. 

India has completed a delimitation exercise four times – in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. The number of Lok Sabha seats was last raised in 1973 delimitation excercise.