New Delhi: The Delimitation Commission set up to redraw the constituencies of Jammu & Kashmir on Monday presented its draft proposal, suggesting 6 new Legislative Assembly seat for Jammu region while 1 new seat for Kashmir. The panel has also reportedly kept 24 seats reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
With the proposed increase, the number of Assembly seats in Jammu would go from 37 to 43 while for Kashmir region, it will go up from 46 to 47 seats. About 9 seats have been put in reserved category for Scheduled Tribes (STs) while 7 for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
The draft proposal by the Delimitation Commission has sparked a major political row with parties mostly from the valley slamming the panel and alleged that it was attempt to swing the balance of power towards Jammu region.
The Commission shared its report with 5 MPs of Jammu & Kashmir including Farooq Abdullah, Akbar Lone, Hasnain Masoodi, BJP’s Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma.
Political fight over bigger allocation of seats to Jammu region
Almost all the parties belonging primarily to valley including Omar Abdullah-led National Conference, Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP hit out at the panel’s proposals and claimed it to be “taking forward BJP agenda to divide the state on regional & religious lines.”
“The draft recommendation of the J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census,” tweeted Omar Abdullah.
The draft recommendation of the J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 20, 2021
Former CM Mehbooba Mufti slammed the Delimitation Commission, saying, “This commission has been created simply to serve BJPs political interests by dividing people along religious & regional lines.”
This commision has been created simply to serve BJPs political interests by dividing people along religious & regional lines. The real game plan is to install a government in J&K which will legitimise the illegal & unconstitutional decisions of August 2019.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 20, 2021
However, MoS in PMO & MP from Udhampur, Dr Jitendra Singh termed the meeting cordial.
“The document is very objectively done, and all associate members, irrespective of their party affiliations, appreciated the work done by the delimitation commission and also committed that in future also they would cooperate,” he said.
Asked about the PDP’s boycott of the commission, Singh said, “That amounts to abusing the sanctity and propriety of the Constitution of India which no mature politician should do.”
Delimitation in Jammu & Kashmir
Delimitation is an exercise via which the boundaries of any assembly or Lok Sabha constituency are redrawn to reflect changes in population of a region.
After abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, the Centre had set up the Delimitation Commission on March 6, 2020, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.
The Delimitation Commission is an independent body and its recommendations are more or less binding. Political parties & executives can’t interfere in its functioning.
Why the controversy over J&K Delimitation
The last redrawing of boundaries was done in 1995 and was based on the 1981 census. After this, number of seats in J&K assembly went up from 76 to 87. Seats in Jammu were increased from 32 to 37 and in Kashmir from 42 to 46 seats. There was no census in the state in 1991.
Political parties have gone on the offensive over this Delimitation exercise based on 2011 census. They have accused the Commission of acting at the behest of BJP and setting up a mechanism to ‘illegally’ tilt the balance towards Jammu people. For buttressing their charge, they have cited 2011 census which reportedly shows 68 lakh & 53 lakh population in Kashmir & Jammu region.
As per proposal, the total number of seats in Jammu & Kashmir will be increased to 90 seats and the difference between two provinces will reduce substantially.
