Jammu and Kashmir’s delimitation was ordered following the scrapping of Article 370. (File)
Highlights
- A serious political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the proposal
- The proposal was rejected by all political events in Kashmir
- Delimitation is the redrawing of boundaries of a constituency
Srinagar:
A serious political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over a draft proposal that has steered six new legislative seats for Jammu and just one for Kashmir in a transfer that native events have described as gerrymandering and an try to skew the stability of energy within the erstwhile state.
The draft by the union authorities’s Delimitation Fee was distributed amongst 5 MPs from Jammu and Kashmir who’re affiliate members of the physique throughout its assembly in New Delhi on Monday and was rejected by all political events in Kashmir who’ve termed it biased and unacceptable.
Nationwide Convention President and MP Farooq Abdullah who attended the assembly confirmed the draft proposal and mentioned that the social gathering will reply to it through a proper communique on December 31.
His son Omar Abdullah tweeted:
The draft advice of the J&Ok delimitation fee is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created meeting constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only one to Kashmir just isn’t justified by the info of the 2011 census.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 20, 2021
The draft advice of the J&Ok delimitation fee is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created meeting constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only one to Kashmir just isn’t justified by the info of the 2011 census.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 20, 2021
In line with the mandate of the fee, the delimitation train was based mostly on the 2011 census and inhabitants is the only real standards for redrawing meeting seats.
In line with the 2011 census, Kashmir has 15 lakh extra inhabitants than Jammu – 68.8 lakh vs 53.5 lakh.
Within the erstwhile state meeting, Jammu province had 37 seats, Kashmir 46 seats and Ladakh 4 seats.
Now, as per the draft proposal, Kashmir could have 47 seats and Jammu 43.
And as soon as the delimitation train carves out new meeting constituencies, seats in Kashmir could have a inhabitants ratio of 1.46 lakh towards 1.25 lakh in Jammu province.
What Is Delimitation?
Delimitation is the redrawing of boundaries of an meeting or Lok Sabha constituency to replicate modifications to the inhabitants of a area.
The Delimitation Fee is an unbiased physique and the chief and political events can not intervene in its functioning.
The Fee is headed by a retired Supreme Court docket choose and contains the Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner and state election commissioners.
5 MPs from Jammu and Kashmir are affiliate members, however their suggestions will not be binding on the Fee.
Three Nationwide Convention MPs, together with Farooq Abdullah, had boycotted the one assembly of the Delimitation Fee previously.
They’ve indicated that they’ll be a part of the conferences if the chairman of the Fee addresses their issues, since a case is pending earlier than the Supreme Court docket.
The Nationwide Convention and different events have challenged the August 5 determination and the delimitation train earlier than the Supreme Court docket.
Delimitation In J&Ok
Till it misplaced its particular standing, the delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Lok Sabha seats was ruled by the Structure of India and that of meeting seats, by the Jammu and Kashmir Structure and Jammu and Kashmir Illustration of the Folks Act, 1957.
The final redrawing was in 1995 and based mostly on the 1981 census. There was no census within the state in 1991. And after the 2001 census, the J&Ok meeting handed a legislation placing on maintain delimitation until 2026.
What It Means For Jammu And Kashmir
After the lack of particular standing, each Lok Sabha and meeting seats are to be demarcated beneath the Structure of India. A recent Delimitation Fee was arrange final 12 months. It received an extension due to the Covid disaster.
In line with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, the brand new legislature in J&Ok could have 90 seats, seven greater than the earlier meeting, after the constituencies are demarcated afresh.
The energy of the Jammu and Kashmir meeting was 87 earlier than 2019, together with 4 seats in Ladakh. 24 Meeting seats are vacant as they fall beneath Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Why Is It Controversial?
Of 87 seats, 46 are in Kashmir and 37 in Jammu.
Because the delimitation is predicated on the census, a number of teams in Jammu have been strongly opposing delimitation based mostly on the 2011 census. Per the 2011 census, Kashmir’s inhabitants is over 68 lakh towards 53 lakh in Jammu. This implies Kashmir will get extra seats when it comes to the inhabitants ratio.
What About Different States?
The final delimitation was held in 1994-1995 when the previous state was beneath President’s Rule; the variety of seats within the J&Ok meeting was elevated from 76 to 87. Seats in Jammu went up from 32 to 37 and in Kashmir, from 42 to 46 seats.
In 2002, the method was placed on freeze until 2026 by the Nationwide Convention authorities, on the heels of the NDA authorities on the Centre. It was determined by parliament {that a} Delimitation Fee shall be arrange after 2026 to resolve on the redrawing of Lok Sabha constituencies throughout the nation.
When the boundaries are redrawn once more, the Lok Sabha are anticipated to go up from 543 to 888 seats. Rajya Sabha seats are anticipated to extend from 245 to 384.
