Madikeri: The Gonicoppa-based Kodagu Citizens' Forum on Friday urged the Delimitation Commission not to decrease the number of Assembly constituencies in Kodagu from three to two. The Forum had earlier filed a similar objection to the commission's moves.

Forum chairman Jammada A. Karumbaiah, who is former president of the Kodagu Zilla Parishat, told presspersons that the constituencies of Virajpet, Somwarpet and Madikeri should be retained. He said the people of the region might boycott elections if the commission went ahead with the delimitation.

He said the forum would urge the Government to provide representation to Kodagu in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as it existed when Kodagu was a Part "C" State till its merger with the Mysore State in 1956. Kodagu had 24 MLAs in its Legislative Assembly. All arrangements were done away with and three Assembly segments were created after the amalgamation of Coorg with Mysore.

The forum had written to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Minister in 2003, urging them not to reduce one Assembly segment in Kodagu.

The President's office had replied stating that the petition of the forum had been forwarded to the Chief Election Commissioner.

A small district such as Udupi had three MLAs and an MP. On the other hand, the three Assembly segments in Kodagu were merged with the Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency. This amounted to discrimination, he alleged. It would lead to reduction in grants to the district, he said.

Mr. Karumbaiah said the forum would request the Delimitation Commission to take note of the objections filed by it and involve it in the public hearing process.

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