Election Commission of India publishes draft delimitation proposals

Kaziranga new Parliamentary constituency; Dimoria,

New Guwahati and Central Guwahati among renamed LACs

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI : The Election Commission of India published the draft delimitation proposals for Assam today based on the 2001 Census report.

The proposals have no change in the number of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies, with the reservation of 19 Assembly and two parliamentary seats for STs and nine Assembly and one parliamentary seat for SC candidates. The boundaries of the existing Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies have, however, been realigned, giving new names to 26 Assembly constituencies.

Now the Election Commission has sought suggestions and objections on the draught proposals until July 11, 2023. The commission will visit Assam in July for a public hearing on the draft proposals.

In the last hearing in March this year, the Commission received representations from 11 political parties and 71 organizations.

The realigned Koliabor Parliament has been named Kaziranga. Some of the new names of the Assembly constituencies are Dotoma (ST), Baokhungri, Parbhotjhora, Gauripur, Manikpur, Sidli Chirang (ST), Mandia, Barpeta (SC), Rupshi, Bajali, Chamaria, Dimoria in Kamrup (M), New Guwahati in Kamrup (M), Central Guwahati in Kamrup (M), Tihu, Govardhana, Bhergaon, Tongla, Binakandi, Rongonadi, Sissibargaon, Rongkhang, Amri, Makum, Norshingpur, etc.

The salient features of the draft proposal are (i) the lowest administrative unit shall be ‘village’ in rural areas and ‘ward’ and urban areas and village and ward have been kept intact and have not been broken anywhere in the State, (ii) Scheduled Caste Assembly seats have increased from 8 to 9; Scheduled Tribe Assembly seats have increased from 16 to 19; (iii) increase of one Assembly seat in Autonomous districts in West Karbi Anglong District; (iv) increase of Assembly constituencies in Bodoland districts from 16 to 19; (iv) retaining Diphu and Kokrajhar Parliamentary seats reserved for ST; (v) continuing Lakhimpur Parliamentary seat as unreserved; (vi) one unreserved Assembly constituency in the Dhemaji district; (vii) Diphu Parliamentary seat reserved for ST which comprises six Assembly constituencies of three autonomous districts; (viii) two parliamentary seats given to Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts; and (ix) one Parliamentary seat named as Kaziranga.

The draft proposal has been prepared based on administrative units, i.e., Development blocks, Panchayats (VCDC in BTAD), villages in rural areas, and Municipal boards and wards in urban areas.

The Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, is slated to visit Assam again in July 2023 for a public hearing on the draft proposal.

In the State of Assam, since the last delimitation (1976), the number of districts has increased from 10 to 31, and similarly, the number of administrative units at the development block and Gramme Panchayat levels has undergone drastic changes. Some of the political parties in the state wanted the delimitation exercise done based on the 2011 Census Report, and some wanted the delimitation done only after the NRC update.

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