File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin expressing “strong support” for starting a national conversation on Union-State relations and emphasizing the importance of cooperative federalism in India’s constitutional framework.
Mr. Siddaramaiah’s letter comes in response to Mr. Stalin’s letter dated February 20, 2026, conveying Part 1 of the report of the High Level Committee on Union-State Relations. Mr. Stalin tabled the report of Justice Kurian Joseph’s High Level Committee on Union-State Relations in the Tamil Nadu Assembly earlier this month.
No solitary effort
Mr. Siddaramaiah emphasized the need for all states, irrespective of political affiliation, to join hands in a constructive federal dialogue. “Federal renewal cannot be the solitary effort of one or two states; it must emerge as a collective articulation,” he said, noting that the goal is “not to weaken the Union, but to right-size it, to ensure that national energies are focused on truly national priorities while entrusting the states with the areas constitutionally entrusted to them.”
In a post on X attached to a letter he addressed to Mr Stalin, Mr Siddaramaiah said: “Federalism is not a political demand – it is part of the basic structure of our Constitution. Over the years, increasing centralization in fiscal and legislative matters has upset the delicate balance envisioned by our Constitution makers. States must have the authority and fiscal space to discharge their responsibilities.”
He said states must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them. “India’s strength lies in cooperative federalism, constitutional trust and respect for diversity,” he said.
Institutional platform
Urging the Union government to provide an institutional platform – such as a revitalized Inter-State Council – for all states to discuss and restore balance in our federal structure, he said, “Karnataka is ready to engage constructively in strengthening India’s democratic and federal framework.”
In his letter, the Chief Minister expressed concern over what he termed the “phenomenon of incremental centralization”, which has altered the federal balance through expansive interpretations of the Concurrent List, conditional fiscal transfers, centrally designed schemes with diminishing state flexibility and procedural hurdles in Governor’s assent. He stated that what was intended to be cooperative federalism increasingly resembled “coercive federalism”.
What did Ambedkar say
He further said, drawing the historical context: “As you have rightly noted, our Constitution was framed under exceptional historical compulsions. The Constituent Assembly, animated by the anxieties of partition and integration, consciously created a Union with unified features. Yet, as BR Ambedkar reminded the Assembly, India would be a ‘federal State guarantee against concentration’ but not a structural unitary State guarantee against concentration of power.”
Published – March 3, 2026 8:05 PM IST
