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Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007
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Polls can be held in redrawn constituencies

For general elections, all depends on government notification, says Delimitation Commission chief

Work has been completed in 513 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies
“Some politicians may be unhappy”

New Delhi: The next Lok Sabha elections can be held in redrawn constituencies, said Delimitation Commission chief Kuldeep Singh.

Mr. Justice Singh said some politicians will be unhappy over the change in constituencies but by and large political parties are not opposed to the exercise.

He told PTI in an interview that if the government notified it by January end, every election, after February 1, will be held under the new scheme. Asked whether the next general elections, if advanced, could fall under this, he said it depended on the government.

After the Presidential notification, the Commission would have to prepare the voters’ list, and this would take three to four months, he said.

The Commission, which was constituted in 2001 and began its work in the middle of 2004, has almost completed work in all the States barring four in the north east.

It has redrawn the boundaries of 513 of the 543 Lok Sabha and 3,726 Assembly constituencies.

More seats for SCs, STs

The exercise covered 25 States, resulting in a net addition of six seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in Parliament and 68 in the Assemblies.

Mr. Justice Singh said: “No politician will be happy because the delimitation exercise is being done after 30 years. Every politician is contesting and getting elected from one constituency for many years. He knows who his voters are.”

Observing that almost all constituencies have undergone changes, he, however, said it was not correct to say that all parties are opposing it.

The copies of the Commission’s orders in respect of 25 States were placed in Parliament during the winter session.

Some Opposition MPs demanded that the Commission’s report be kept it abeyance.

The Commission had recently written to the Centre to have the Presidential order issued for the implementation of the new exercise.

The delay in implementation of the orders of the Commission was challenged in the apex court, which has issued notice to the Centre to explain the reasons for the delay.

The petition, filed by the Delhi Study Group, an NGO, had sought immediate implementation of the recommendations.

The petitioner alleged that the Centre had been dragging its feet on getting the Presidential assent for the delimitation of constituencies. — PTI

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