Express News Service
SRINAGAR: Amid reports that Delimitation Commission has proposed 6 additional Assembly seats for Jammu region and only one for Kashmir, the J&K grand old party National Conference and two other Kashmir-based political parties Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Conference have slammed the Commission and termed the recommendations unacceptable.
“The draft recommendation of J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census,” tweeted National Conference working president and former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
He said it is deeply disappointing that the Commission appears to have allowed the political agenda of the BJP to dictate its recommendations rather than the data which should have been it’s only consideration.
“Contrary to the promised scientific approach, it’s a political approach,” Omar said.
The Delimitation Commission, which was formed last year to redraw J&K Assembly constituencies following abrogation of Article 370, met with five associate members (five MPs – three from NC and two from BJP) of J&K in New Delhi today. In the meeting, the Delimitation Commission informed the associate members about its reported proposal of giving six additional seats to Jammu region and only 1.
In the erstwhile J&K State, J&K Assembly had 87 seats – 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh while 24 are reserved for PoK.
After Article 370 revocation, the number of Assembly seats would rise to 90 while 24 remain to be reserved for PoK.
The delimitation exercise is being carried out as per 2011 census. And as per 2011 census, J&K had a total population of 12,541,302. Of this Kashmir had 6,888,475 population while Jammu region had 5,350,811 population.
Peoples Conference chairman and former minister Sajjad Gani Lone said the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission are totally unacceptable.
“They reek of bias. What a shock for those who believe in democracy,” Sajad tweeted.
Former CM and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said her apprehensions about the Delimitation Commission were not misplaced.
“They want to pitch people against each other by ignoring the population census & proposing 6 seats for one region & only one for Kashmir,” Mehbooba tweeted.
