SRINAGAR: In its second draft report, the Delimitation Commission has proposed removal of 22 Assembly seats and creation of 29 new ones by redrawing boundaries of the existing and expunged seats in Jammu and Kashmir.
The draft report has been rejected by all Kashmir-based parties including PDP, National Conference, Apni Party, and People’s Conference. Of the 22 Assembly seats proposed to be removed, 11 each are in Kashmir and Jammu. Four out of eight existing seats, including Habba Kadal, in Srinagar have been removed while five out of 11 existing seats in Jammu dropped. Two seats each were removed in Reasi (Jammu) and Baramulla and Kulgam (Kashmir).
As for the proposed 29 new constituencies, there are seven additional seats — one in Kashmir and six in Jammu. Additionally, 17 new constituencies are in Jammu and 12 in Kashmir. In Kashmir, one seat has been totally removed from Kulgam district and additional seat was adjusted in Anantnag district. Kupwara is also allotted an additional seat.
The total number of Assembly seats proposed is 90 (47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu), up from the previous 87 (46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh). In the proposed 9 ST seats for ST, six are in Jammu and 3 in Kashmir. All the seven SC seats are reserved for Jammu.
National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said the report was a sheer mockery of universally accepted and constitutionally established norms of representation. The PDP alleged that the Commission has proved itself to be as a frontal organisation of the BJP.
Peoples Conference claimed that the delimitation was an attempt to disempower and disenfranchise Kashmiris. Apni Party termed the process “unfair and unscientific”. Ikkjut Jammu chairman Ankur Sharma termed the proposal of clubbing Rajouri and Poonch with south Kashmir was a decisive step towards implementing Dixon Plan.