New Delhi, July 08: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has raised serious concerns over the Election Commission’s draft on delimitation for Assam, calling it “filled with mistakes” and suggesting that it could be an attempt to benefit the ruling BJP. Rajesh Sharma, the party’s in-charge for northeastern states, criticized the draft for being inconsistent and based on outdated census data from 2001.
According to Sharma, the delimitation of assembly seats and Lok Sabha constituencies should have been done based on the latest census data from 2011 to account for the increase in Assam’s population. However, the draft retained the number of assembly seats at 126 and Lok Sabha constituencies at 14, without considering the significant population growth in the state.
Sharma highlighted that Assam’s population has increased to an estimated 3.6 crore since the last delimitation in 1976, calling for a proportional increase in assembly seats. However, the number of seats allocated to Assam remained stagnant in the draft, which raised concerns about fair representation.
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The AAP leader also criticized the Election Commission for disregarding its own guidelines, leading to the division of villages and panchayats across multiple assembly constituencies. He cited examples of constituencies being merged or abolished, potentially disrupting the administrative system and impacting representation.
Moreover, Sharma questioned the timing and necessity of the delimitation in Assam when a nationwide delimitation is already scheduled for 2026. He raised suspicions about the ruling BJP’s motivations and whether it was an attempt to gain advantages through the delimitation process.
In light of these concerns, the AAP demanded that the Election Commission either revise the draft proposal, considering the increase in population and other factors in Assam or conduct a fresh delimitation exercise in 2026 along with other states.
The issue of delimitation in Assam holds significant importance as it directly affects the democratic representation of the state’s population. The fairness and accuracy of the delimitation process are crucial to ensure equitable representation and a robust democratic system.
