J&K delimitation panel holds first meeting, three NC members absent

NEW DELHI: The process of redrawing boundaries of electoral constituencies should take into account not just population but aspects such as geographical features, communication, and connectivity, Lok Sabha MPS from Jammu suggested on Thursday in the first meeting of the Delimitation Commission on Jammu & Kashmir.

The National Conference MPS from Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone, who are also associate members of the Commission, did not attend the meeting, and said the exercise itself was “unconstitutional”.

According to the people aware of the matter, Jitendra Singh, minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office and MP from Udhampur, and Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP from Jammu, said at the meeting that delimitation of constituencies should consider existing boundaries of administrative units, communications, public convenience, with special attention to the local terrain.

When contacted, Sharma said suggestions from associate members were elicited in the meeting. “We will give the suggestions that will then be taken up at the subsequent meetings,” he told HT.

The commission, which will end its term on March 5, was set up a year ago by the Union law & justice ministry with a mandate to redraw the constituencies in the Union territory in accordance with the provisions of Part V of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and Delimitation Act, 2002.

MPS from Kashmir, who skipped the meeting chaired by justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, said in a letter to the commission “In our view, the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, is palpably unconstitutional and has been enacted in disregard and violation of mandate of the Constitution of India.”

Singh criticised the NC decision to skip the meeting. “This is not a platform for any kind of political posturing,” he said.