Centre may extend tenure of Delimitation Commission

Jammu: The Union government may extend the tenure of Delimitation Commission constituted last year to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly Constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir as well as northeastern states due to incomplete ground work. Moreover, the extension of commission could also delay the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Delimitation Commission, which was constituted March 6 last year, hold its first meeting week ago on February 18,” as per the reports.

The first meeting of commission. Was attended by two of the five associated members - Union minister Jitendra Singh and BJP leader and MP from Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma while the other three associated member of the commission - National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Hasnain Masoodi - skipped the meeting terming the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 is palpably unconstitutional and has been enacted in disregard and violation of mandate and spirit of the Constitution of India.

The commission has not received the complete view of political leaders which could be the reason for extending tenure of delimitation commission.

Apart for this, the another reason for extending tenure of delimitation commission J&K’s State Election Commissioner K.K. Sharma was appointed on 30 October last year, following which he was busy with the District Development Council (DDC) polls in the UT that concluded last December.

“Effectively, he could start work with the commission only in January this year, so there is groundwork that needs to be completed,” the report said.

“One can expect the commission to conclude its work in the coming months, and that is why a year-long extension is being considered,” the reported added.

The elections in J&K have been due since the alliance between the BJP and PDP fell apart in June 2018, after which the erstwhile state was brought under governor’s rule.

While it was expected that polls in J&K could be held simultaneously with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission ruled that out, citing security concerns.

Months after the Lok Sabha elections, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was brought in, mandating delimitation in the newly-carved out UT before polls could be conducted.

On Independence Day last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the delimitation process in the union territory was over.

Before that, in 2019, after the Centre scrapped Article 370, BJP national president J.P. Nadda had said that elections in J&K will be held only after the delimitation of seats.

“Jammu and Kashmir has been given the status of a union territory, but it will also have a legislature. Elections will be held. But before that there will be delimitation of constituencies,” he had said.