Centre, ECI back J&K delimitation decision

NEW DELHI: The delimitation exercise for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) could not wait till 2026 since the idea was to give immediate democracy to the newest Union Territory (UT), the Union government told the Supreme Court on Thursday, justifying the act of redrawing poll constituencies in J&K and increasing the tally of assembly seats from 83 to 90 following the effective abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Under the amended Article 82 of the Constitution, 2026 is the year for delimitation to readjust seats in the Lok Sabha to the states and the division of each state into territorial constituencies.

“The last delimitation had taken place in 1995. We don’t want to point out what went wrong at that time since it is not a matter being argued currently. But the government’s idea was to give immediate democracy to J&K. To wait till 2026 was legislatively found to be unwise,” solicitor general

Tushar Mehta told a bench, led by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which reserved its judgment on a challenge to the delimitation exercise.

The solicitor general , arguing

before the bench which also comprised justice AS Oka, added that the delimitation exercise for J&K also took into account the aspect that the region could regain its statehood.