Delimitation panel proposes 9 assembly seats for ST and 7 for SCs in J&K

Jammu, December 21: For the first time, to provide opportunities for equal representation to SC and ST, J&K Delimitation Commission has proposed to reserve nine assembly seats for Scheduled Tribes and Seven seats are proposed for Scheduled Castes.

 

 

Besides the Delimitation Commission has also proposed to increase six assembly seats for the Jammu division and one for the Kashmir division. The panel presented the draft to five associate members, who belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Conference, and asked for their responses by December 31.

 

 

It should be noted that the Kashmir division currently has 46 seats and Jammu 37 seats. This is the first time seats under the ST category have been proposed in J&K. If the proposal is cleared, the total number of poll constituencies will rise from 83 to 90, with 43 in the Jammu region and 47 in Kashmir.

 

The development comes after the meeting of the delimitation commission held on Monday. The commission, headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, met all the five Associate Members including Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Hasnain Masoodi, and Jugal Kishore Sharma, in New Delhi yesterday. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Chief Electoral Officer of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir were also present during the meeting.

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