Both parties submit suggestions to Delimitation Comm
*NC MPs harp on population as sole criteria
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 31: Two BJP Associate Members today strongly countered the National Conference contention that the Delimitation Commission should wait for outcome of Supreme Court verdict on Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act and demanded that small seats like Gurez in Kashmir valley should be merged and more seats be given to Jammu region especially in Jammu district which has two largest segments in the Union Territory.
Two Associate Members of the BJP and three from National Conference today submitted their suggestions/objections to the Delimitation Commission in New Delhi on last day of submission of the views fixed by the Panel in its meeting held in New Delhi on December 20.
Sources said the BJP has demanded creation of Assembly constituencies for floating population and merger of small segments like Gurez (which has only 14,000-odd votes) in Kashmir with other seats to create addition constituencies in Jammu division.
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“The BJP has reportedly demanded that after disbanding small constituencies like Gurez in Kashmir, more Assembly seats be given to Jammu region which has two largest segments in Jammu district including Jammu West and Gandhi Nagar (Cantonment) having over 1.5 lakh electorates each,” the sources said.
Besides Gurez, the BJP has also cited some more constituencies in Kashmir which are based on less votes.
The BJP Associate Members were also understood to have countered the National Conference argument challenging constitution of the Delimitation Commission on the ground that the NC and other parties have challenged Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act in the Supreme Court where the matter is sub judice.
“The Delimitation Commission is a Constitutional body and has full power for delimitation of Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir before holding elections in the Union Territory,” the BJP said.
On the other, all three Associate Members in the Commission from the National Conference including Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mohammad Akbar Lone and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi submitted joint representation to the Commission today,
“We reiterated that the Commission should wait for the outcome of Apex Court verdict on our petition challenging Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act under which special status of erstwhile State was abrogated and it was bifurcated into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. The Commission has also been set up under the same Act,” NC MP Hasnain Masoodi told the Excelsior.
He said the National Conference has submitted joint representation to the Delimitation Commission.
“We have demanded that population should be sole criteria for delimitation of Assembly constituencies,” Masoodi said.
The National Conference has objected to the grant of just one Assembly seat to Kashmir as against six to Jammu.
In the increased seven Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, the Delimitation Commission in its meeting on December 20 had stated that six constituencies have been given to Jammu division and one to Kashmir.
The Panel had increased one seat each in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts in Jammu region and Kupwara in Kashmir.
Besides, it had announced reservation of nine seats for Scheduled Tribes and seven for Scheduled Castes.
The Panel is headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai and has Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra and State Election Commissioner (SEC) KK Sharma as official members and five Associate Members—three from NC and BJP.
Sources said the Commission can call another meeting to discuss suggestions/objections offered by the Associate Members in the writing today.
The Panel has deadline till March 6, 2020 to submit its report. It was set up on March 6, 2020 with a term of one year and was granted extension of another year on March 6, 2021.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir can be held only after the Commission submits its report.
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