Guwahati: The Election Commission of India (ECI) held public sittings in Guwahati on Thursday to hear suggestions and objections from national and state political parties on the draft delimitation proposal for Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies of Assam.
The Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners, Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, held meetings with representatives of national and state political parties on the draft delimitation proposal during the second day of the three-day series of public sittings.
Representatives from national parties such as Aam Aadmi Party, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Bharatiya Janata Party along with state parties like All India United Democratic Front, Asom Gana Parishad, United Peoples Party Liberal and Bodoland People’s Front shared their feedback and suggestions with the Commission.
United Opposition Forum Assam (Assam Pradesh Congress, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPM, Raijor Dal, CPI, Jatiya Dal Assam, NCP, RJD, Janata Dal (U), TMC, CPI(ML) and Others) and several registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) also participated in the meetings.
Opposition Congress and AIUDF opposed the ongoing delimitation exercise and have requested the apex poll panel to halt the process until the Supreme Court takes a decision on two pending cases on the matter.
During a media interaction after putting forth the Opposition party’s suggestions on the delimitation draft, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the party has requested the apex poll body to immediately stop the exercise.
“’The situation is no different now to the one back in 2008 when the delimitation was stopped owing to the prevailing situation at that time. Moreover, two cases are pending at the Supreme Court, which has fixed July 25 for the next hearing,” Borah said.
The state Congress chief further said that in the wake of the delimitation being carried out on the basis of the 2001 census, the party questioned the ECI as to whether the poll body would recognise the people as Indian citizens at a time when the NRC has not been updated and still not ready.
Earlier in the day, the Commission also heard over 645 representations from 13 districts including Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Darrang, Hailakandi, Cachar, South Salmara, Nagaon, Morigaon and Dhubri.
It may be mentioned here that the Commission is holding public hearings and meetings with representatives of political parties, civil society organisations and other sections of society between July 19 and 21.
On Thursday, over 270 representations were heard by the Commission from nine districts. The three-day hearings will conclude on Saturday.
On the other hand, the ruling BJP and its allies AGP and UPPL welcomed the draft saying that the interest of the indigenous people will be protected with the implementation of the proposals.
On the first day, suggestions for Kamrup Metropolitan, West Karbi Anglong, Chirang, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Kamrup, Udalguri, Karbi Anglong and Kokrajhar districts were accepted. Over 270 representations were received by the ECI from these districts.
Suggestions/objections on the draft for Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Darrang, Hailakandi, Cachar, South Salmara, Nagaon, Morigaon and Dhubri districts were also heard on Thursday. More than 400 suggestions were received from these districts.
On the concluding day on Saturday, the ECI panel will hear the representatives from Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Golaghat and Majuli districts. Over 95 proposals were submitted from these areas.
Notably, the ECI delimitation proposal seeks to retain the number of Lok Sabha seats at 14 and the number of Assembly seats at 126.
The Scheduled Tribes are proposed to be allocated 19 seats out of 126 seats in the state Assembly, and two of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. The Scheduled Caste population is proposed to be allocated nine seats in the Assembly and one seat in the Lok Sabha.
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It may be recalled that the Commission had visited Guwahati in March this year before the delimitation exercise began. During the consultations at that time, representations were received from 11 political parties and 71 organisations.
The previous delimitation exercise in Assam was carried out way back in 1976.
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