Pondicherry: The Karaikal Struggle Group (KSG) has protested against the redrawing of Assembly constituencies by the Delimitation Commission reducing the number of constituencies in Karaikal region from the present six segments to five and in Mahe from two to one.

convener, S.P. Selvashanmugham said on Saturday the KSG was unhappy that some organizations were agitating for holding elections to the Pondicherry Assembly (due in 2006) on the basis of the constituencies finalized by the Commission.

The Commission had at the end of its exercise announced delimitation of constituencies as under: Pondicherry would have 23 instead of 21 segments, while Karaikal would have five and Mahe one. Yanam would continue to have one segment without change.

Mr. Selvashanmugham said that Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam were together made a Union Territory by virtue of a Treaty of Cession between the Governments of France and India in 1954. De facto transfer of power by virtue of this treaty was effected by merging these regions with the Indian Union.

He said that the treaty has a specific provision that any changes in the constitutional features of the Union Territory could be effected only after ascertaining the wishes of the people. But the delimitation contemplated now was a violation of the letter and spirit of the treaty.

Mr. Selvashanmugham said that the Pondicherry government had also failed to bring to the notice of the commission the ground realities and this had caused displeasure among the people.

He said that the KSG had been pressing its demand that Karaikal be made a separate Union Territory so that it could draw up developmental programmes and ensure progress in the region.

Now with Mahe also facing a difficult situation with its two constituencies becoming one, the region could also extend support to the KSG.

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