Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik deputed two party leaders Amar Patnaik and Sanjay Dasburma for a meeting on delimitation scheduled tomorrow (March 22) in Chennai. 

The former Rajya Sabha Member Amar Patnaik and former Odisha Minister Sanjay Dasburma will represent the BJD at the first Joint Action Committee meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin. 

Criticising the BJD's decision to attend the delimitation meeting, Food Suppliers, Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the opposition BJD can join others camp for its security. 

"This is BJD's own decision. We have no problem with the stage set by Stalin on delimitation row. However, the BJD delegation attending the meeting in Chennai has no relevance. The team, which will not play the match, will go for the participation. It does not matter whether the BJD will attend the meeting or not, but the party will be dissolved in future. There is no problem if the BJD changes equation. The BJP and NDA are capable of running the entire nation as well as the state," the BJP leader said. 

Recently, Stalin had invited political leaders from seven states including from Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal, seeking anti-BJP parties' support against delimitation process. 

The 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 termed the process as 'blatant assault on federalism'. He suggested the Centre for a fair delimitation by using population data from 1971 Census for the next 30 years while conducting the delimitation in 2026.