J&K Delimitation Draft Triggers Huge Row As Jammu Gets 6 Seats, Kashmir 1

Srinagar:

A significant political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over a draft proposal that has advised six new legislative seats for Jammu and just one for Kashmir in a transfer that native events have described as gerrymandering and an try and skew the stability of energy within the erstwhile state.

The draft by the union authorities’s Delimitation Commission 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.

National Conference President and MP Farooq Abdullah who attended the assembly confirmed the draft proposal and stated that the social gathering will reply to it by way of a proper communique on December 31.

His son Omar Abdullah tweeted:

The draft suggestion of the J&Okay delimitation fee is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created meeting constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & solely 1 to Kashmir is just not justified by the info of the 2011 census.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 20, 2021

The draft suggestion of the J&Okay delimitation fee is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created meeting constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & solely 1 to Kashmir is just not justified by the info of the 2011 census.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 20, 2021

According to the mandate of the fee, the delimitation train was based mostly on the 2011 census and inhabitants is the only standards for redrawing meeting seats.

According to the 2011 census, Kashmir has 15 lakh extra inhabitants than Jammu – 68.8 lakh vs 53.5 lakh.

In 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 in opposition to 1.25 lakh in Jammu province.

What Is Delimitation?

Delimitation is the redrawing of boundaries of an meeting or Lok Sabha constituency to mirror modifications to the inhabitants of a area.

The Delimitation Commission is an impartial physique and the manager and political events can not intervene in its functioning.

The Commission is headed by a retired Supreme Court decide and contains the Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner and state election commissioners.

Five MPs from Jammu and Kashmir are affiliate members, however their suggestions aren’t binding on the Commission.

Three National Conference MPs, together with Farooq Abdullah, had boycotted the one assembly of the Delimitation Commission prior to now.

They have indicated that they are going to be a part of the conferences if the chairman of the Commission addresses their considerations, since a case is pending earlier than the Supreme Court.

The National Conference and different events have challenged the August 5 resolution and the delimitation train earlier than the Supreme Court.

Delimitation In J&Okay

Until it misplaced its particular standing, the delimitation of Jammu and Kashmir’s Lok Sabha seats was ruled by the Constitution of India and that of meeting seats, by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People 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&Okay 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 underneath the Constitution of India. A recent Delimitation Commission was arrange final 12 months. It bought an extension due to the Covid disaster.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, the brand new legislature in J&Okay 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 Assembly seats are vacant as they fall underneath Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Why Is It Controversial?

Of 87 seats, 46 are in Kashmir and 37 in Jammu.

Since the delimitation relies 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 in opposition to 53 lakh in Jammu. This means Kashmir will get extra seats when it comes to the inhabitants ratio.

What About Other States?

The final delimitation was held in 1994-1995 when the previous state was underneath President’s Rule; the variety of seats within the J&Okay 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 National Conference authorities, on the heels of the NDA authorities on the Centre. It was determined by parliament {that a} Delimitation Commission can 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.