Unacceptable: Jammu and Kashmir political parties reject Delimitation Commission proposal

Jammu: As the news of the Delimitation commission’s proposal reached Kashmir, all the main regional parties reacted promptly in one voice saying it is “unacceptable”. 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “My apprehensions about the Delimitation Commission weren’t misplaced. They want to pitch people against each other by ignoring the population census & proposing 6 seats for one region & only one for Kashmir." 

Soon PDP released a video statement through the party chief spokesman Syed Suhail Bukhari who while talking to media said, “We have heard about the proposals that Delimitation Commission has put forward for Jammu and Kashmir. This simply reflects what we have been saying for long. It’s been done by BJP and how their party could gain out of it. That is why the commission has proposed 6 seats for Jammu and 1 seat for Kashmir, which in no way is justified. The agenda of BJP and today’s government is to divide the people in Jammu and Kashmir on regional and religious basis. The Commission has proven our party President Mehbooba Mufti right and we are rejecting this proposal.”

Former J&K chief minister and National Conference Vice president Omar Abdullah said, “Delimitation proposal is not acceptable. He wrote on his Twitter handle, “The draft recommendation of the J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census.

He added in another tweet, “It is deeply disappointing that the commission appears to have allowed the political agenda of the BJP to dictate its recommendations rather than the data which should have been it’s only consideration. Contrary to the promised “scientific approach” it’s a political approach.”

However, NC’s three MP’s including party president Farooq Abdullah were part of the meeting of the Delimitation Commission in Delhi today. 

It was not only Mehbooba and Omar but second-run parties like the People Conference and Apni Party who showed disappointment on the proposal of Delimitation commission.

People's conference president Sajad Lone said it’s a shock to those who believe in democracy. He tweeted, “The recommendations of the delimitation commission are totally unacceptable. They reek of bias. What a shock for those who believe in democracy.”

While the Apni Party who came into existence after the abrogation of Article 370 and is seen as a supporter of BJP in Jammu & Kashmir too have rejected the proposal and asked the government of India to intervene. “We strongly demand the GoI to intervene.”

“J&K Apni Party rejects the proposal of the delimitation commission. This is outrightly unacceptable to us. Apni Party demands a fair delimitation exercise without any bias, taking population and districts as the base. We strongly demand the GoI to intervene,” the party added. 

The Delimitation Commission in Delhi today proposed six additional seats for Jammu region and one for  Kashmir division. The panel in its draft presented before the associate members, has proposed nine seats for Scheduled Tribe and seven for Scheduled Caste as well.  

The meeting was held today at Ashok Hotel in New Delhi.  They said, adding that the panel has proposed seven additional assembly seats for Jammu and Kashmir. The total number of assembly seats after this addition will be 43 in Jammu and 47 in Kashmir.

The panel has also proposed nine seats for Scheduled Tribe and seven for Scheduled Caste.

The commission has asked its associate members to submit their suggestions by December 31, 2021.

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