Delimitation Commission writes to LS Speaker, presiding officers of assemblies to name associate members

Setting in motion the process for redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the Delimitation Commission has written to the speakers of Lok Sabha and assemblies of the four northeastern states to name associate members of the panel.

Jammu and Kashmir at present has no legislative assembly. It is a union territory with a provision of a legislature.

Members of Parliament and legislative assemblies of states, for which the Delimitation Commission is set up, are drawn in as associate members to assist the panel in its task.

Election Commission functionaries aware of the development said the delimitation panel met recently where the decision was taken to write to the Lok Sabha Speaker and presiding officers of state assemblies to name associate members.

The Delimitation Commission also asked the Election Commission Secretariat to obtain latest census data from the Registrar General of India of "up to the lowest administrative unit", a senior functionary said.

Asked whether the coronavirus-induced lockdown has delayed the work of the Delimitation Commission, a functionary said the panel remains "undeterred" and continues with its task.

The government had on March 6 constituted the Delimitation Commission, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.

Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and state election commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir and the four states will be its ex-officio members.

The commission will delimit the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, and of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland in accordance with the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002, a Law Ministry notification earlier said.

Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province with a legislative body.

According to section 60 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, "...the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114...."
It said now the President, satisfied that the circumstances that led to the deferring of the delimitation exercise have ceased to exist, "is pleased to rescind the notification...dated February 8, 2008."