Bengaluru, Mar 13 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday expressed his inability to attend the upcoming meeting of like-minded states convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to discuss issues related to state autonomy and the implications of new population benchmarks on the delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

In a letter addressed to Stalin, Siddaramaiah acknowledged the significance of the issues raised, stating that they have serious implications for the federal structure of governance. "These issues have to be discussed at length by the like-minded States," he wrote.

However, citing prior commitments, the Karnataka Chief Minister conveyed his inability to personally attend the meeting scheduled for March 22. He has instead deputed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to represent Karnataka in the deliberations.

The letter, dated March 13, was formally addressed to Stalin, underscoring the importance of discussions on the autonomy of states within the federal structure of India.

The meeting convened by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is expected to see participation from various non-BJP-ruled states and could set the tone for a broader political consensus on the contentious issue of delimitation.

UNI BDN GNK