'Assembly elections in J&K after delimitation process is complete': LG Sinha tells envoys
J&K LG Manoj Sinha remarked that the delimitation process was currently under progress, and would be soon followed by assembly elections.
The delegation of foreign envoys who are on a 2-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir met J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday where a discussion over the delimitation process was held. While addressing the 24 foreign envoys, LG Sinha remarked that the delimitation process was currently under progress, and would be soon followed by assembly elections which would be held in a 'free and fair' manner.
"Delimitation process is on. PM and Home Minister have assured the country that after the delimitation process is completed assembly elections will be held. After Delimitation Commission finishes its work, I assure, elections will be conducted in a fair and free manner," said the J&K LG.
The foreign envoys from 24 nations are on a two-day visit to J&K to gain first-hand information on the development work undertaken by the administration post the abrogation of Article 370. Their visit comes after the successful completion of the District Development Council (DDC) elections, the first major electoral exercise since the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Delimitation Commission holds first meeting
The J&K delimitation committee is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, and the State Election Commissioner who have been appointed as the three members of the commission. Moreover, three JKNC Lok Sabha MPs Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, Akbar Lone, and two BJP MPs Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore are associate members of the panel after nomination by the MHA.
The first meeting of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir was held on Thursday with the National Conference opting out of the meeting in opposition of the exercise. Moreover, the Farooq Abdullah-led party also called for a halt to the delimitation proceedings alleging that the exercise was being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 which is currently under judicial scrutiny.
The delimitation process is carried out at regular intervals to ensure that each constituency has approximately an equal number of voters. The demarcation of boundaries of the Parliamentary or Assembly constituencies usually occurs when the state has been split- as is in the case of J&K and Ladakh where state elections have not been held since the dissolution of the Assembly in November 21, 2018.
(With Agency Inputs)
Published By : Ananya Varma
Published On: 18 February 2021 at 18:16 IST