Protests Erupt in Assam as Election Commission Releases Delimitation Draft

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Assam roads

Assam Police detained demonstrators in Karimganj on Tuesday as they staged a protest against the proposed delimitation draft by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The protest comes in response to the ECI’s publication of the draft proposal for the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies for Assam on June 20. Numerous organizations and political parties have called for a 12-hour bandh (shutdown) in Barak Valley, Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts of the state, expressing their opposition to the proposed delimitation draft.

Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, a Congress MLA from Karimganj district, criticized the process as “illegal,” pointing out the lack of adherence to guidelines in the delimitation. According to Purkayastha, the population of Barak Valley has increased from 20 lakh to 45 lakh since the last delimitation exercise, but the proposed delimitation reduces the number of seats allotted to the region. He further stated that no geographical survey has been conducted in the area, deeming the entire process unlawful. The previous delimitation exercise in Assam occurred in 1976, while the current one is based on the 2001 Census data, as stated by the ECI.

The ECI noted that the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly and the House of People in Assam remains at 126 and 14, respectively. The proposed draft allocates 19 seats for Scheduled Tribes out of 126 in the Legislative Assembly and 2 seats for Scheduled Tribes out of 14 in the House of People. Additionally, it suggests 9 seats for Scheduled Castes in the Legislative Assembly and 1 seat for Scheduled Castes in the House of People, indicating an increase in seats for these categories. The ECI explained that the draft proposal was prepared based on administrative units such as development blocks, panchayats, villages, municipal boards, and wards in rural and urban areas.

In July 2023, the Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, is scheduled to visit Assam for a public hearing on the draft proposal. Individuals and organizations have been invited to submit their suggestions and objections regarding the proposed delimitation by July 11, 2023. The release of the draft has sparked widespread protests in Assam, with demonstrators expressing their discontent over the alleged discrepancies and calling for a fair and transparent delimitation process.

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