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Friday, Feb 15, 2008
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Nod for delimitation report

J. Venkatesan

Assembly polls as per revised constituencies: notification won’t apply to north-east, Jharkhand
Karnataka polls likely only in August/September

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved implementation of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission on re-defining Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies.

A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to recommend to the President to issue notifications at the earliest to implement the recommendations, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.

The notification would be in respect of 24 States and Union Territories and it would not apply to five States — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland and Jharkhand. The government had earlier deferred the delimitation exercise in four north-eastern States and Jharkhand by approving amendments to the Delimitation Act 2002 through an ordinance.

In view of the Cabinet’s decision, the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections in the States, including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, scheduled later this year would be held as per the revised constituencies.

Asked about Karnataka, where elections are due, Mr. Munshi said: “The moment the notification is signed, the States go to the polls by the delimited constituencies.” According to Commission sources, once the President issues the notification, the electoral rolls of the Assembly constituencies have to be revised in Karnataka. This exercise would be completed in about three to four months and the polls would be possible only in August/September. If they can not be held by May, President’s rule will have to be extended by another six months.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to supersede the Delimitation Order of 1976 and to amend the Representation of the People Act 1950 to reflect the changes in reservation of seats for the SCs and the STs as per the delimited constituencies. This would bring the new orders into force and pave the way for elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies on the basis of new constituencies.

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