Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 27: Seven Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the State Assembly in the House of 87 would remain unchanged for record fourth consecutive term in 2014 Assembly elections. Under the normal practice, the reserved Assembly seats had to rotate after every two or a maximum of three terms.
All seven reserved Assembly seats fall in Jammu region, the maximum being three in Jammu district and one each in Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Ramban districts.
Official sources confirmed to the Excelsior that the Government has decided not to rotate the reserved seats for 2014 Assembly elections.
“To rotate the reserve Assembly seats, the Government was required to set up the Delimitation Commission, which had to identify an equal number of seven seats to be reserved for the SCs after de-reserving the already reserved seats,’’ sources said, adding there was no Government move to set the process into motion.
Though the State Legislature at par with the Parliament has frozen the increase in number of Assembly seats by an act of legislation in 2001, there was no bar on rotation of reserved seats and changing boundaries of the constituencies after the Legislature nod for setting up the Delimitation Commission.
“As the State has separate Constitution it can even go for increase in number of Assembly seats by amending the Constitution provided that it has two-third majority for the purpose,’’ sources pointed out.
Seven reserved Assembly seats in the State, which have already witnessed three Assembly elections in 1996, 2002 and 2008 included Chhamb, Domana and RS Pura in Jammu district, Samba, Hiranagar in Kathua district, Chenani in Udhampur district and Ramban.
The Congress holds Chhamb, Chenani and Ramban while Domana, RS Pura and Hiranagar are represented by the BJP breakaway group headed by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta. The NPP holds Samba seat.
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has won three consecutive terms from Chhamb while in Chenani it had been the BJP in 1996, NPP in 2002 and Congress in 2008. In Ramban, it was BJP in 1996, NC in 2002 and Congress in 2008.
Janata Dal had won Domana in 1996 while the seat went to Congress in 2002 and BJP in 2008. RS Pura had gone to BSP in 1996, Congress in 2002 and BJP in 2008 while Hiranagar was with BJP in 1996 and 2008 and Congress in 2002. BSP had won Samba in 1996 while in 2002 and 2008, it remained with the NPP.
All reserved seats fall in Jammu region as there was no population of SCs in Kashmir and Ladakh region. Of 87 Assembly seats, Kashmir has 47, Jammu 36 and Ladakh 4.
The recent budget session of the Legislature had witnessed massive uproar in the Assembly with Jammu based Opposition members of BJP, BJP breakaway group, NPP and JSM holding protest demanding constitution of Delimitation Commission to increase Assembly seats of Jammu region.
Political reservations for the SCs are extended by through the Constitutional amendment by both Houses of the Legislature after every 10 years. In 2011, the Assembly had passed the bill for extension of political reservations for another 10 years but the bill remained pending in the Council, where it was passed during just concluded budget session.
During last budget session, the Council had passed the bill by simple majority when the then Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council MY Taing (now retired) was presiding over the House. However, the Chairman had later deemed it as “not passed’’. The bill was passed in the budget session in March and reservations extended till 2021.
According to sources, the general category candidates on all seven reserved seats were suffering politically as they were unable to contest the Assembly elections there for three consecutive terms. Even, they would be unable to contest the election for fourth successive term of the Assembly when elections would be held in November-December 2014.
While the SC candidates can contest from general seats, the general category candidates are barred from contesting the reserved seats.
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