Guwahati: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has expressed serious concern over the draft delimitation for the upcoming elections in Assam, stating that the reliance on the “outdated census data from 2001 in the delimitation process, without accounting for population growth and demographic changes since then, has attracted vehement opposition from the people of the state.”
AAP in-charge of North Eastern states, Rajesh Sharma, alleged that the Election Commission has failed to adhere to its own guidelines, which have resulted in the potential adverse impact on the administrative and governance systems and the violation of the right to fair representation for many ethnic and caste groups in Assam.
AAP has also presented a memorandum to the ECI expressing the party’s concern over the delimitation process based on the 2001 census.
The party has further questioned the timing and necessity of the delimitation, raising doubts about the potential political interference of the ruling party – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Protests have erupted across Assam in response to the delimitation draft with demonstrations taking place in Barak Valley, besides Upper and lower Assam.
In the wake of intensified agitation by several groups and political parties across Assam of late, AAP has urged the government and the Election Commission to listen to the voices of the protesting masses and conduct the delimitation along with the nationwide delimitation scheduled for 2026.
“At the very least, we call upon the Election Commission to conduct a fair hearing, address the shortcomings, and rectify the draft to ensure fair representation and address the unique challenges faced by diverse regions and groups in Assam,” a statement issued by the party said.
AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that “the party emphasises that the draft shows a complete disregard for the rights of the burgeoning population and the crucial geographical aspects of the state.”
“By disregarding the geographical and demographic considerations, the draft delimitation has neglected the unique challenges faced by certain regions of Assam and exhibited a severe lack of foresight,” Kakkar said.
On the other hand, AAP in-charge of North Eastern states, Sharma highlighted the glaring inconsistencies and numerous flaws in the demarcation of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the draft delimitation of Assam, which was published by the Election Commission on June 20, 2023.
“The way the demarcation has been done in the draft is woefully inconsistent and riddled with mistakes. It fails to consider the growing population of Assam and its geographical location. The draft fails to consider the growing population of Assam and completely neglects the rights and concerns of various castes, communities, and ethnic groups, and other significant factors crucial to the demarcation process,” he said.
Drawing attention to historical context, Sharma pointed out the discrepancies in the use of census data for the delimitation process and its implications for electoral representation in Assam.
He explained that the first delimitation in Assam was conducted in 1976 based on the 1971 census, when the state’s population was approximately 14.6 million. However, the current delimitation relies on the 2001 census, despite the fact that the population has since surged to an estimated 36 million in 2023.
“This substantial 2.5 times population growth in Assam since the last delimitation in 1976 calls for a proportional increase in Assembly seats, yet it is puzzling that despite that, the number of assembly seats allocated to Assam remains stagnant at 126 in this recent draft as well, along with a mere 14 Lok Sabha seats,” he said.
“Since 2001, there have been two more censuses in 2001 and 2011, and the 2021 census was postponed for some reason. However, the Election Commission’s decision to base the current delimitation on the 2001 census seems misplaced and out of touch with the present reality. This arbitrary fixation of dates, solely for the purpose of altering the boundaries of Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha constituencies without considering the fundamental objectives of delimitation, appears misguided and is deeply concerning for the people of Assam,” Sharma said.
He further emphasised that the delimitation process should be based on the principles of accounting for demographic and geographical considerations of constituencies to ensure fair and accurate representation in any state’s electoral system.
“However, in the case of Assam, neither the increasing population nor the geographical factors have been taken into account,” he said.
Highlighting the contrasting approach taken in other states, Sharma remarked, “We have observed that when delimitation was conducted in Jammu and Kashmir, it was based on the 2011 census. It is standard practice to delineate the boundaries of the Legislative Assembly or Lok Sabha seats in any state based on the latest available census data. Hence, there is no justification for relying on outdated census figures from 2001 in Assam for delimitation.”
“Under the proposed changes, several constituencies in Assam have been merged or abolished, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the administrative system. The Amguri seat in Sivasagar district has been abolished and merged with Nazira and Sivasagar, which is expected to have adverse consequences as it will potentially disrupt the administrative system. There are many similar cases like Barpeta, Bajali, etc,” he added.
Sharma also expressed serious concerns over the changes in the Barak Valley’s Assembly constituency configuration. “Previously, there were 15 Assembly seats in the region. But instead of an attempt to bolster population representation, the seats for the region have been reduced to only 13 in the draft. This move is viewed as a violation of the rights of the local population and is expected to pose significant challenges in the near future,” he said.
He further questioned the timing and necessity of conducting delimitation in Assam when a nationwide delimitation is scheduled for 2026. He asked whether this was a deliberate attempt by the ruling BJP to secure advantages. “Why are we in such a rush that the delimitation of Assam should be done now, particularly when it could simply have coincided with the national delimitation?” he questioned.
“The 42nd amendment to the Indian Constitution stayed the delimitation exercise for 25 years until 2001, which was extended by another 25 years till 2026,” he said.
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He also criticised the discriminatory nature of the published delimitation draft and voiced concern about the exclusion of rights of various castes and ethnic groups in Assam. “Assam is a diverse state, vibrant with communities like the Ahom tribe, Team tribe, Bodos, Morans, Rabhas, Karbis, Misings, Deoris, and many more. It is essential to safeguard the rights of all residents to ensure fair representation for all these groups. The current delimitation draft fails to adequately protect their rights,” he said.
The AAP leader, however, said that the party expected the Election Commission to conduct the delimitation process in Assam in 2026 with the rest of the country. “In the least, the EC must rectify the several deficiencies in its current draft and ensure the fair representation of all ethnic and caste groups by revisiting the delimitation process in 2026 or through immediate corrections,” he added.
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