<p>The Delimitation Commission set up by the Centre to redraw Assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir has sought suggestions/replies on 290 memorandums received by it during its four-day visit to the Union Territory (UT) in July.</p>.<p>The Commission, headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, had received 290 representations from political parties and stakeholders, ranging from partially unfreezing 24 seats falling in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, postponing the exercise till after statehood is restored and ensuring every region gets its due among others.</p>.<p>Sources said the panel has forwarded all the representations to the State Election Commission (SEC) which, in turn, referred them to deputy commissioners of the UT, who also happen to be the district electoral officers (DEOs).</p>.<p>“Most of the deputy commissioners have replied to the suggestions/queries while some are in the process of doing so,” they said.</p>.<p>The Commission, set up by the Centre in March 2020, met representatives of all major political parties in Srinagar and Jammu in July, except the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which boycotted the process. The Commission has its term till March 7, 2022 and is trying to meet the deadline. It will be redrawing assembly segments based on the 2011 Census.</p>.<p>Once the delimitation exercise is completed, the number of Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir will go up from 83 to 90. Twenty-four seats of the Assembly continue to remain vacant as they fall under PoK.</p>.<p>Assembly seats in J&K were earlier delimited in 1963, 1973 and 1995. The last delimitation exercise was conducted in J&K under President’s rule in 1995 by the retired Justice K K Gupta Commission. The next exercise was due in 2005, but in 2002, the then state government chose to freeze delimitation until 2026. The decision was in line with the pan-India freeze on delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies till the first census after 2026.</p>.<p>However, as the August 5, 2019 decision annulled J&K’s constitution, the freeze on delimitation till 2026 also became irrelevant. In fact, J&K Reorganisation Act, which came into force on October 31, 2019, mandates delimitation of constituencies in the UT.</p>.<p>The elections in J&K have been due since the PDP-BJP alliance fell apart in June 2018, after which the erstwhile state was brought under governor’s rule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have assured all the leaders of J&K in June this year that the election process in the UT will begin once the delimitation process is completed.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
<p>The Delimitation Commission set up by the Centre to redraw Assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir has sought suggestions/replies on 290 memorandums received by it during its four-day visit to the Union Territory (UT) in July.</p>.<p>The Commission, headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, had received 290 representations from political parties and stakeholders, ranging from partially unfreezing 24 seats falling in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, postponing the exercise till after statehood is restored and ensuring every region gets its due among others.</p>.<p>Sources said the panel has forwarded all the representations to the State Election Commission (SEC) which, in turn, referred them to deputy commissioners of the UT, who also happen to be the district electoral officers (DEOs).</p>.<p>“Most of the deputy commissioners have replied to the suggestions/queries while some are in the process of doing so,” they said.</p>.<p>The Commission, set up by the Centre in March 2020, met representatives of all major political parties in Srinagar and Jammu in July, except the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which boycotted the process. The Commission has its term till March 7, 2022 and is trying to meet the deadline. It will be redrawing assembly segments based on the 2011 Census.</p>.<p>Once the delimitation exercise is completed, the number of Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir will go up from 83 to 90. Twenty-four seats of the Assembly continue to remain vacant as they fall under PoK.</p>.<p>Assembly seats in J&K were earlier delimited in 1963, 1973 and 1995. The last delimitation exercise was conducted in J&K under President’s rule in 1995 by the retired Justice K K Gupta Commission. The next exercise was due in 2005, but in 2002, the then state government chose to freeze delimitation until 2026. The decision was in line with the pan-India freeze on delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies till the first census after 2026.</p>.<p>However, as the August 5, 2019 decision annulled J&K’s constitution, the freeze on delimitation till 2026 also became irrelevant. In fact, J&K Reorganisation Act, which came into force on October 31, 2019, mandates delimitation of constituencies in the UT.</p>.<p>The elections in J&K have been due since the PDP-BJP alliance fell apart in June 2018, after which the erstwhile state was brought under governor’s rule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have assured all the leaders of J&K in June this year that the election process in the UT will begin once the delimitation process is completed.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
