The Election Commission of India has initiated the process of Delimitation in Assam. This is a process for redrawing Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies. It shall be based on the Census data of 2001.
The last delimitation in Assam took place in 1976. However, it was based on the 1971 census which was more than 50 years ago.
What is the Delimitation Process all about?
Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries in a region. These boundaries are created for lok sabha and state Assembly seats. These new boundaries represent population changes.
The primary reason for it is to give equal representation to equal segments of a population. The population in the state was 1.46 crore in 1971. So, that census was the base for the previous delimitation. But, in 2001 the population of the state was 2.66 crore which will be the base for new delimitation.
The population does not increase equally in all areas of a state. For this reason, after a certain period delimitation of constituencies is done. It indicates a rise in population and more importantly its distribution.
Who is responsible for conducting the delimitation process?
The Delimitation Commission is responsible for delimitation process. While central government appoints an independent committee for it. Its made under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act. The act is mentioned in the Indian Constitution. The president appoints them formally and it works with ECI.
A Delimitation Commission includes the following:
- A retired Supreme Court judge
- The Chief Election Commissioner of India
- Respective State Election Commissioners.
As per norms, there must be no influence of the executive on its functioning. Also, the decisions by it are final. They cannot be challenged in a court of law.
The response in Assam to Delimitation Process
The majority of people have welcomed the decision. It was pending for a long time. But, there are questions about why it will be based on the 2001 census and not on the 2011 census. Also, the census of 2021 is yet to be done.
The opposition leader in the state said that it was a long-due decision. But, raised concerns about the process being based on the 2001 census, not on 2011 or 2021 figures. Also, the congress leader said the government should consider whether this will be useful or not.
On the other hand, AIUDF leader and MLA Aminul Islam also welcomed this move and raised similar concerns. MLA Islam even said that many Assembly constituencies that were earlier reserved for SC and ST communities. Now, they have underwent changes. They have experienced demographic changes and Muslims form the majority in such constituencies. So, he continued that those seats must be reserved accordingly.
While ruling party BJP’s Assam President welcomed the move by ECI. Also, he expressed confidence that it would be done soon.