The News Craving
Staff Report
The Kashmir’s political parties have a little say as the Jammu region is on course to get more seats in the Assembly.
The Delimitation Commission has proposed an increase of 6 seats for the Jammu region and 1 for Kashmir which has evoked an outrage from the political parties here. The Commission has proposed an increase and sought inputs from its members. However the political parties have maintained that they have little say and the two associate members of National Conference (NC), Farooq Abdullah, and Hasnain Masoidi, who attended the meeting have recommendatory powers only.
The number of seats will now increase in Jammu region to 43 while Kashmir will get 47 seats.
As per the 2011 census, the population of Jammu Division is 5,350,811 from a total population of nearly 1.2 crore for the entire Union territory.
Over the delimitation, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, “My apprehensions about the Delimitation Commission weren’t misplaced. They want to pitch people against each other by ignoring the population census & proposing 6 seats for one region & only one for Kashmir.”
In its reaction National Conference said, “Misrepresenting and distorting the facts with malicious intention! Very misleading statement. We have clearly expressed our resentment over the draft of the Delimitation Commission, the biased process of seat sharing. The party will NOT be a signatory to this report.”
“The recommendations of the delimitation commission are totally unacceptable. They reek of bias. What a shock for those who believe in democracy,” said Peoples Conference leader, Sajad Lone in his reaction.
“This proposal of the Delimitation Commission is beyond the Constitutional scope and doesn’t seem to be a ‘scientific’ exercise. It also lacks an intellectual integrity. We reject the proposal. Hope that GoI intervenes & ECI revisits its proposal in the interest of people of J&K,” said former Minister and Apni party president, Altaf Bukhari. The move has however been welcomed by the BJP.
Earlier the Commission had invited five Lok Sabha MPs from Jammu and Kashmir to take part in the proceedings of the panel and this came as several leaders in Jammu sought increase in the Assembly seats from existing 37. The Commission is headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai and its term will end in March 2022.
The assembly seats will increase to 90 from the existing 83 for Jammu and Kashmir with segments to be reserved for SC and ST population as well. However, senior Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar has said the number of districts has increased from 12 to 20 and the number of tehsils from 52 to 207 which has ensured the need to increase the seats. ” Commission has also, for some districts, proposed carving out of an additional Constituency to balance the representation for geographical areas having inadequate communication&lack of public conveniences due to their inhospitable conditions on international border. For the first time, in Jammu & Kashmir, nine seats are proposed to be allocated for Scheduled Tribes out of 90 seats on the basis of population. Seven seats are proposed for Scheduled Castes,” the Delimitation Commission said in an official statement. Gujjar activist, Dr Javed Rahi, said in tweet, ” the draft recommendation of the ‘Delimitation Commission’ regarding the reservation of 9 seats for Tribal (STs) in JK Assembly is a step that will prove historic towards tribal development.WE (Gujjars, Bakerwals) heartily welcome such a move that happened after 30 years of wait.”