The Hindu : Front Page : BJP seeks delimitation of constituencies in J&K

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Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
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BJP seeks delimitation of constituencies in J&K

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Venkaiah Naidu here on Wednesday demanded delimitation of constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir — which was left out of the exercise — in the interest of “fair play” for the people of the Jammu region.

This is in contrast to the stand taken by the BJP when the Delimitation Commission was set up in July 2002 under Justice (retired) Kuldip Singh. The Delimitation Act of 2002 adopted by Parliament when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and moved when Arun Jaitley was Law Minister specifically stated in clause 2 (f) that this exercise “does not include the State of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Asked about this, Mr. Naidu admitted that the delimitation exercise was given the green signal during the NDA regime. However, he added that since “the delimitation exercise requires a resolution to be passed in each State assembly, this was not done in Jammu and Kashmir.” Although the National Conference government of Farooq Abdullah was in power in Jammu and Kashmir at that time, “the BJP was in alliance with the NC only at the Centre, not in the State.”

Mr. Naidu said the party’s demand did not mean that the delimitation be completed before the Assembly elections in J&K. It had been made as the people of Jammu felt neglected.

Although the Kashmir Valley covered some 15,000 square kilometres with an electorate of about 25.5 lakh, it had three Lok Sabha seats and 46 Assembly constituencies as opposed to the Jammu region — an expanse of roughly 26,000 square kilometres with an electorate of 29 lakh, but only two Lok Sabha seats and 37 Assembly constituencies. The Ladakh region had one Lok Sabha seat and an electorate of under two lakhs.

Talking to The Hindu over telephone from Srinagar, the former Finance Minister in the National Conference government, Abdul Rahim Rather, said that in April 2002 the J&K Legislative Assembly adopted an amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir constitution freezing any delimitation exercise till after the first census after 2026.

Two-thirds support

“This amendment, which needed a two-thirds support of members in the Assembly was in fact passed unanimously with no one objecting, not even the four to five BJP MLAs in the Assembly.” He said the BJP had supported this amendment in the Assembly.

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