Kashmir parties express unease over delimitation exercise

As the J&K Delimitation Commission arrived in Srinagar on Tuesday on its four-day session tour of the Union Territory (UT), Kashmir-based political parties questioned the timing of the exercise and expressed fears of it being “politically motivated”.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Awami National Conference boycotted the panel.

A delegation of the National Conference (NC), which is a part of the five-party Gupkar alliance, met the Commission headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakesh Desai.

“The J&K Reorganization Act, 2019 is palpably unconstitutional. We have challenged the Act in the Supreme Court, which is before the constitutional bench. The two pillars of the State — Executive and Legislature — must out of respect to the third pillar, judiciary, avoid implementing and exercising powers under an Act that is under scrutiny,” the NC mentioned in a memorandum submitted to the Commission.

The NC steered that the delimitation be carried out after 2026 as soon as the related figures of the census have been revealed.

“Despite our basic reservations, the Commission has decided to go ahead. We request the delimitation exercise be free, fair and transparent, so that the unity and integrity of the State is safeguarded. Population has to be the only norm, as elsewhere in the country,” the NC added.

The Commission, underneath the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019, is remitted to carve out seven extra constituencies to the 83-member UT Assembly. It will meet extra parties and civil society teams in south Kashmir, Jammu and the Chenab Valley within the subsequent three days.

A CPI (M) delegation, led by get together’s J&K secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik, instructed the Commission the exercise needs to be carried out together with the remainder of the nation in 2026.

“There is a lot of mistrust among people. The perceived apprehension that the exercise is aimed at benefiting some sections of the population should be removed. What is at stake is the credibility of the institutions and process itself. This exercise has to be seen as free, fair and just. And for any electoral exercise, restoration of full statehood is a must,” Mr. Malik mentioned.

He mentioned the Commission assured the CPI (M) delegation that it’s going to put the report in public area and solely after that the report will likely be finalised.

Boycotting the exercise, PDP normal secretary Ghulam Nabi Hanjura, wrote an open letter to the Commission.

“The Commission lacks constitutional and legal mandate. There are apprehensions that the exercise is part of the overall process of political disempowerment of the people of J&K. The fact that while the delimitation process across the country has been put on hold till 2026, J&K has been made an exception. There are apprehensions that the process is aimed at realizing the political vision of a particular political party, and the views and wishes of the people of J&K would be considered the least,” Mr. Hanjura mentioned.

He mentioned the PDP has determined to keep away from the delimitation course of and never be a part of some exercise, “the outcome of which is widely believed to be preplanned and which may further hurt the interests of our people”. Another constituent of the Gupkar alliance, ANC, additionally boycotted the assembly.

Hours after the PDP determined to boycott the Commission, the get together president Mehbooba Mufti mentioned her mom had been served summons by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash laundering case.

Meanwhile, J&K Congress delegation headed by president Ghulam Ahmad Mir, mentioned, “Until the full statehood for J&K is restored, there would be no meaning for the Delimitation Commission to undertake any exercise. The initiation of political and democratic dialogue must begin with restoration of civil liberties of political parties and people.”

The Congress demanded that the draft proposal ready by the Commission be distributed amongst all of the political parties for giving ideas and submitting objections.

“People have grave apprehensions of preconceived political prejudice governing the commission’s final recommendations,” the Congress leaders mentioned.

Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference additionally questioned the timing of the exercise.

“The rumour mills are in fact in a heightened state of frenzy suggesting that the whole exercise is being carried out to disempower people of a particular region. Though PC does not believe in such unsubstantiated and hypothetical narratives and has full faith in this Constitutional body, yet the party feels that there should be abundant transparency, noticeable impartiality and perceptible fairness on the part of the Delimitation Commission as regards the processes, methodology and principles employed,” the PC mentioned.

The PC demanded that the Assembly constituencies needs to be delimited in such a method that the inhabitants of all constituencies is similar all through J&K.

“This purpose can be achieved only by adhering to the average population principle for each and every constituency, which is 1,36,300 people,” it added.

Kashmir-based parties’ ideas have been in distinction to the Jammu-based parties and the BJP’s suggestions to the Commission in February this yr, the place they pressured that topography, communications, accessibility and lack of contiguity be considered.