11 parties submit memorandum to CEO on constituency delimitation

GUWAHATI: Representatives of eleven opposition political parties submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Assam, today and expressed serious objections to the proposed exercise of the delimitation of the assembly as well as parliamentary constituencies in the state. The Election Commission of India notified the public of the proposed constituency delimitation exercise. The delegation included representatives of Assam Jatiya Parishad, Raijor Dal, Jatiya Dal Asom, INC, Communist Party of India (M), Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (ML), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India, Janata Dal (United), and Trinamool Congress.

The memorandum said, “It is important to note that while the delimitation of constituencies in the country was conducted under the Delimitation Act of 2002, the State of Assam and other North Eastern States had seen wide-scale opposition to reliance on the 2001 census figures. Following this, Section 10A was added, providing for deferment of delimitation in certain situations by the President of India. Sentiments regarding the representatives, the change of boundaries, and the likelihood of damage to the law-and-order situation were among the suggested reasons for the deferment.

“Section 8A was also added to the Representation of People Act, 1950, to provide for the Election Commission of India to conduct delimitation in the northeastern states; upon the satisfaction of the President of India, that situation is now conducive for the conduct of delimitation. The reasons for the deferment of the delimitation exercise remain valid even today, and it will be a mistake to continue the process based on 20-year-old data. It fails to inspire public confidence and would, thus, make the entire exercise a futile attempt to waste public money and state machinery. Also, Assam is being singled out for the process while nothing is being done in the other northeastern states, which is highly arbitrary and unjustified. The process was previously postponed based on the ground that the NRC was not completed, which remains true even today, and the use of the 2001 Census will include a large number of doubtful citizens while considering the delimitation process and will be unfair to the people of the state. Also, there will be a question on the fair and reasonable representation of each ethnic group in the state while considering the reconstitution of the constituencies. Hence, the representatives demanded a halt on the process and considered the same at a future date.”

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