Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Report

the story So Far: After many objections and elaborations, Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission Submitted its final report on May 5, 2022, two years after it was appointed to redraw electoral boundaries in Jammu and Kashmir as per the mandate laid down by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. In its order, a notification of which was published. In the Gazette of India, the three-member panel created an additional six for the Jammu region and one additional assembly seats for the Kashmir Valley in accordance with the Act. The commission’s final order has set the stage for elections in the erstwhile state, where assembly elections were last held in 2014.

What is delimitation?

Delimitation is the process of redefining the boundaries of Lok Sabha or assembly constituencies, says the Election Commission of India. The process is done according to the change in the demographic status of a state or union territory. Delimitation is done by a Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission. The orders of an independent body cannot be questioned before any court. In the past, Delimitation Commissions were set up in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002. Before the abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, its assembly seats were delimited by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu. and the Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957. Meanwhile, the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies was governed by the Constitution.

What is Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission?

The last delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir was conducted in 1995 on the basis of the 1981 census. At that time there was President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. No census was conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991 due to the tense situation in the Valley. In 2001, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a law to stop the delimitation process till 2026. The Center constituted a Delimitation Commission in March 2020, six months after the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated and reorganized as Union Territories. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, was entrusted with the task of delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on the basis of the 2011 Census and in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. . Delimitation Act, 2002.

The panel was given one year to complete the delimitation plan, but was given two extensions. After considering the submissions and considering factors such as “geographical features, means of communication, public convenience and proximity to areas”, the Delimitation Commission released its final report on 5 May.

What are the main findings from the final report?

Firstly, Jammu and Kashmir is divided into two divisions, Jammu has 37 assembly seats and Kashmir 46. After the final draft of the commission, six additional assembly seats have been earmarked for Jammu (modified in 43) and one for Kashmir (modified in 47). The total number of assembly seats in the UT will increase from 83 to 90.

Second, the commission has recommended to the Center to nominate at least two Kashmiri Pandits to the assembly.

Third, the panel has proposed nine seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs). These will include six in Jammu (Budhal, Gulabgarh, Surankote, Rajouri, Mendhar, Thanamandi) and three in the Valley (Gurez, Kangan, Kokernag). Seven seats have been reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) in the Jammu region.

Fourth, the commission has also recommended that the government consider giving representation to the displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied-J&K in the Legislative Assembly through nominations.

Fifth, in its final order, the commission has noted that it has “considered the Jammu and Kashmir region to be a single union territory”, and merged Rajouri and Poonch (from Jammu division) with the Anantnag constituency in the Kashmir region. Is. The name of the new constituency has been changed to Kishtwar-Rajouri.

Sixth, the commission has said that it has changed the names of 13 constituencies keeping in view the public sentiment in the area. The order shows that the names of Gulmarg (from Tangmarg), Hazratbal, Jadibal, Lal Chowk, Idgah have been restored in Kashmir. The name of Gulabgarh constituency has been restored in the Jammu region.

The final order of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir carries a lot of political significance. The completion of the delimitation exercise will pave the way for the assembly elections – a significant step in the possible restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said earlier this year that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir would be restored “once the situation returns to normal”.

The commission has added seven more assembly seats on the basis of 2011 census. With this, Jammu with a population of 53 lakhs (43% of the total population of 1.22 crores) will have 47% seats, while Kashmir with a population of 68 lakhs (56%) will have 52% seats.

The new constituency consists of five ST assembly constituencies of Jammu region. In J&K, Gujjars and Bakarwals form the ST community which is 11.9% of the total population as per 2011 census. This reorganization is likely to have an electoral impact.

Who criticized the commission?

With the exception of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have criticized the commission for acting as an “extension of the BJP”. Rejecting the recommendations, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the proposal as another means to weaken the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Ms. Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party had boycotted both the visits of the commission to the union territory. His party colleague Naeem Akhtar alleged that the elections were rigged even before the polling. “This is yet another sad chapter in history written by the rulers sitting in New Delhi,” he said. Hindu,

The National Conference (NC) claimed that the final order was an attempt to help the BJP gain an election advantage. The NC has been critical of the commission and boycotted it before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention.

The People’s Conference and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have also expressed their disappointment. The Congress said the proposal of six additional seats for Jammu and one for Kashmir “smells of predetermined miscalculation”. Meanwhile, the BJP has said it is happy with the panel for “doing a great job”.

what lies ahead?

The Delimitation Commission of Jammu and Kashmir has issued notification of its final order in the Gazette of India. The report has been published in newspapers as per rules.

The Center will now fix a date from which the delimitation order will come into force. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra told Hindu That the Election Commission will then rationalize the polling stations and amend the electoral rolls. This will pave the way for the much-awaited first assembly elections after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped in 2019.

With inputs from Peerzada Aashiko