BJD chief Naveen Patnaik confirms attendance at Stalin’s meeting on delimitation

The announcement came after DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, accompanied by Tamil Nadu’s industries minister TRB Rajaa, met Patnaik in Bhubaneswar to extend an official invitation for the meeting. The discussion is scheduled to be held in Chennai later this month.

Following the meeting, Patnaik reportedly assured Maran of his participation. BJD leaders have also indicated that a separate internal meeting will soon be held in Bhubaneswar to assess the potential impact of delimitation on Odisha. The party is expected to engage in detailed discussions before formulating its official stance.

Speaking to the media, Maran said, “He (Naveen Patnaik) shares our concerns about the unfair impact of delimitation. Seven states—Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Punjab—stand to lose representation, while the northern states’ share will increase. These (seven mentioned states) are developed states that have successfully controlled population growth, and now they are being penalised for it. Regarding the meeting on March 22, Naveen Patnaik confirmed that he will definitely attend and share his views. He stands with us in this fight.”

BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra confirmed the development, saying, “Dayanidhi Maran and TRB Rajaa conveyed a message from Mr Stalin and invited Naveen ji and the BJD to join a detailed discussion, likely around March 22, to address the concerns of Tamil Nadu and several other states, including Odisha, that could be affected by the delimitation process.”