Srinagar: After collecting data from Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, the Delimitation Commission constituted by the Government of India would soon hold deliberations with associate members from the UT.
News agency KNO quoted sources as saying that the three-member panel headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice (retd.) Ranjana Desai would soon start the process of deliberations with associate members to expedite the process.
“The commission is soon expected to hold meeting with associate members from Jammu and Kashmir,” they said.
Pertinently, the National Conference has already decided to boycott the process. In a statement issued on May 30, NC, whose three MPs were nominated as associate members of Delimitation Commission by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, rejected the process.
“This Delimitation Commission is a product of the J&K Re-organisation Act 2019, which NC is challenging both in and outside the Supreme Court. Participating in this Commission will be tantamount to accepting the events of August 05, 2019, which the NC is unwilling to do,” the party had said.
The Lok Sabha Speaker had nominated five MPs — Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Justice (retd.) Hasnain Masoodi and Muhammad Akbar Lone of NC, Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma of BJP — as associate members of the panel.
The Delimitation Commission is mandated to fix boundaries of 90 Assembly seats and reserve seats for Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes.
Office of J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer has submitted all data sought by the delimitation panel, sources said.
“We have submitted details like population data, administrative units, maps of constituencies to the panel,” an official disclosed.
The Delimitation Commission, which was constituted on March 06, 2020, has to complete the task by March 05, 2021.
