Guwahati, March 27: The Election Commission of India (ECI) team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday held consultations with various stakeholders, including political parties and civil societies, to redraw the territorial boundaries of the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies based on the 2001 census.
The last delimitation exercise in Assam was done in 1976, and the process had been stuck for 14 years.
On Monday, the main opposition parties of Assam, including Congress, AIUDF, and TMC, raised several objections about the process during their closed-door meetings with the EC. They questioned the timing of the delimitation exercise ahead of the 2024 general elections and expressed apprehensions that it might alter the boundaries of Muslim-majority constituencies. They also raised concerns about the Assam NRC, which is stuck in limbo.
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia expressed unhappiness with the ECI, saying that they have not received any reply regarding the delimitation process despite giving them representation in January. Saikia alleged that there were irregularities in the delimitation process done by the Assam government, such as withdrawing district status to some areas and curtailing some parts and joining them with other districts.
“There were some irregularities in the delimitation process which was done by the Assam government like withdrawing district status to some areas and curtailing some parts and joining it with other district. The BTR is a Sixth Schedule area directly controlled by Centre through Governor. Even some districts of BTR have also been withdrawn. In this connection, the EC told us that they will meet all our queries but since January, 2023, we are waiting for their reply,” Saikia told reporters in Guwahati.
Similarly, AIUDF general secretary and MLA Aminul Islam questioned the timing of the delimitation process and suggested a conspiracy against some communities. “The intention of the govt is not clear. Entire country will have delimitation in 2026, so why Assam is having now? We feel there is a conspiracy against some communities so that they don’t have proper representation in Parliament and Assembly,” alleged Islam.
Meanwhile, Assam Trinamool Congress has sent a letter to the ECI regarding the ongoing delimitation process, calling for consideration of the latest population census report for a more effective exercise.
President of Assam Trinamool Congress Ripun Bora, said, “The Delimitation commission postponed the delimitation exercise in Assam in 2008 on the basis of the consensus arrived among the Political Parties. But it is very surprising that Election Commission of India all on a sudden started the delimitation exercise in Assam without any prior consultation with the political parties which was earlier postponed on the demand of political parties.”
“The present delimitation exercise in Assam is started on the basis of the population census report of 2001. It is not understood why the latest population census report is not taken into consideration. The population census report of 2021 has not yet been published. If this delimitation exercise is taken out on the basis of latest population census report available (2011) it would have been more effective, because the present population data of the Legislative Assembly constituencies will help in properly adjusting the constituencies,” he added.
The ECI team arrived in Guwahati on Sunday for a three-day visit to the state ahead of the crucial delimitation of constituencies in Assam.
