NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a plea challenging the move of the Delimitation Commission of redrawing poll constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir and increasing the tally of Assembly seats from 107 to 114.
The plea also challenged the notifications issued in 2020 by the Ministry of Law and Justice for constituting a delimitation panel to take up the exercise in the Union Territory.
A bench of Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka said, “Arguments heard. Judgment reserved.” The court had quizzed the petitioners for not challenging the specific provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act that conferred on the Delimitation Commission the power to carry out “readjustment” of constituencies in the UT which was formed after abrogating Article 370.
Appearing for Srinagar resident Haji Abdul Ghani Khan and Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, senior advocate Ravi Shankar Jandhyala said the constitution of the panel was without power, jurisdiction and authority.
Defending the exercise, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that draft orders of the Delimitation Commission inviting comments were published in the gazette on March 14.
“Procedure is followed by the Delimitation Commission. Previously also a constitutionally fixed number of seats of MLAs were reorganised in Reorganisation Act,” he said.