Delimitation to continue
The central government has extended the term of delimitation commission by another year for only Jammu and Kashmir excluding North-East.
BJP leaders from Jammu have tried to play down the extension to the delimitation commission and have told the media that the Commission would complete the process within a few months and elections might be held within this year.
On February 18, the Delimitation Commission on Jammu & Kashmir held the first meeting and the Kashmir based three MP’s, Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, and Akbar Lone, did not participate and described the commission as “unconstitutional”.
In the absence of the Legislative Assembly, the NC and BJP Lok Sabha members were nominated as associate members of the Delimitation Commission without having any voting rights. The law provides that four persons- MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir or four Lok Sabha members representing the newly carved-out Union Territory would assist the election commission in the delimitation process.
Since the Delimitation Commission has been constituted under Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, the NC has described the exercise as unconstitutional and has decided to stay away from its meetings. While the commission has got another year to complete the process in absence of the members from Kashmir valley its task would not be easy to complete it and give their report back to the government.
