Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 8: A glaring example of discrimination with Jammu region, which has necessitated the demand for constitution of Delimitation Commission, can be well gauged from the fact that a Parliamentary constituency in Jammu has as high as 17.63 lakh electorates in the upcoming general elections while a Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir has only 11 to 12 lakh votes. Ladakh Parliamentary seat was based on only 1.6 lakh votes.
The State Government has always taken shelter under the Constitutional bar on delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies on less number of seats of Lok Sabha and Assembly in Jammu region as compared to Kashmir.
Latest figures of electorates released by the Election Commission for six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu and Kashmir revealed that Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency has 17,63,579 voters. It was followed by another Lok Sabha seat of Jammu region—Udhampur-Doda, which has second highest number of electorates—14,12,794.
As compared to 17.63 lakh plus electorates in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat and 14.12 lakh in Udhampur-Doda constituency; Baramulla-Kupwara Lok Sabha seat in the Kashmir Valley has just 11.52 lakh votes and Srinagar-Budgam 11.71 lakh electorates.
Anantnag-Pulwama Parliamentary seat also has 12.72 lakh votes.
Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in view of its geographical and topographical locations has only 1.59 lakh electorates.
Sources said two Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region (Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda) have 32 lakh plus votes while three seats of Kashmir region (Srinagar-Budgam, Anantnag-Pulwama and Baramulla-Kupwara) have 35 lakh plus votes.
The electorates of 32 lakh plus in Jammu region could easily account for three Lok Sabha seats in Jammu with 10 to 11 lakh votes each, which would be at par with Baramulla-Kupwara and Srinagar-Budgam constituencies, sources said.
Though the Centre as well as State Government had freezed fresh delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats till 2026, sources said Jammu and Kashmir Government in view of its special status was empowered to amend the Constitution to set up the Delimitation Commission for changing boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies to ensure almost equal number of votes in five seats of Jammu and Kashmir, the Ladakh seat being an exception due to its topography and geographical locations.
Sources said there was huge difference of at least six lakh votes in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat (17.63 lakh) and Srinagar-Budgam and Baramulla-Kupwara, which have 11.71 and 11.52 lakh electorates.
Out of 17,63,579 electorates in Jammu-Poonch seat, 9,25,044 were male and 8,38,535 were females while out of 14,12,794 voters in Udhampur-Doda constituency, 7,58,354 were male while 6,54,440 were females. In Ladakh seat, there were 81,168 male voters and 78,781 female voters in the total electorates of 1,59,949.
Of 11,52,956 electorates in Baramulla-Kupwara Parliamentary seat, 6,07,062 were male while 5,45,894 were females. In Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary seat, there were 6,15,259 male electorates and 5,56,493 female electorates in the total of 11,71,752 votes. In Anantnag-Pulwama seat, which has total of 12,72,088 electorates, 6,70,990 were male while 6,01,098 were females.
Jammu and Kashmir has total of 69,33,118 electorates including 36,57,877 male and 32,75,241 females apart from 58,000 odd service voters.
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