J&K Delimitation panel finalizes draft proposal, seeks suggestion & objections by Mar 21

New Delhi, Mar 14: The Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir finalized its proposals and published them on Monday inviting objections and suggestions from the general public till March 21. The Commission also announced that it will visit the Union Territory on March 28 and 29 for public sittings.

 

"General Public can file their objections and suggestions on or before 5 pm on March 21. Copies of Delimitation Commission Public draft to be available with district Election officials. The suggestions will be considered by the Commission in its public sitting on March 28 and 29, the location and timing of which will be notified separately," it said.

 

 

As reported earlier, the Commission was given two months extension on March 6, 2022, and has to submit a report before May 6. In the recent draft proposal, the Commission did not increase the number of Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, nor did it reserve any Parliamentary constituency for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

 

However, it reserved seven seats for SCs and nine for STs in the Legislative Assembly. "Jammu and Kashmir will have 90-seat Assembly and, of them, seven segments will be reserved for SCs and nine for STs," the Commssion said.

 

The nine seats reserved for STs are - Rajouri, Darhal, and Thanna Mandi, all in Rajouri district; Surankote and Mendhar in Poonch district; Mahore in Reasi district (Jammu region); Gurez in Bandipora district; Kangan in Ganderbal district; and Kokernag in Anantnag district (Kashmir division).

 

Meanwhile, all seven seats reserved for SCs fall in the Jammu region including Ramnagar in Udhampur district, Kathua South in Kathua district, Ramgarh in Samba district; Bishnah, Suchetgarh, Marh, and Akhnoor in Jammu district.

 

The Commission is headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai and comprises Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra and State Election Commissioner (SEC) KK Sharma. Once the delimitation exercise is complete, the number of Assembly seats in J&K will go up from 83 to 90.

 

 

Twenty-four seats of the Legislative Assembly continue to remain vacant as they fall under Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK). J&K election will be held only after the Commission submits its final report, which will be followed by a summary revision of the Electoral Rolls.