Guwahati, March 28: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that it would consider all suggestions from stakeholders on the ongoing delimitation exercise in Assam within the existing legal framework and principles of equity.
Appreciating the stakeholders for putting forth their views and suggestions during the three-day stock-taking sessions here on the ongoing delimitation exercise in Assam, the chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar assured that the exercise would be “transparent and participative”.
Representatives of nine recognised political parties, three registered parties and over 60 civil society organisations shared feedback, inputs and aspirations of people during the interactions with the apex poll body.
This is for the first time that the commission interacted with stakeholders before preparing the draft proposal.
“I am encouraged with the consultations during the three days. Constructive suggestions have come and there is an appreciation, understanding and participation to get the exercise completed,” Kumar said while addressing a media conference before winding up the ECI’s three-day deliberations with stakeholders in a city hotel on Tuesday afternoon.
“Inputs and feedback can be submitted through e-mail by any organisation, party or individual to the ECI till April 15, 2023, following which guidelines would be framed and a draft prepared. Subsequently, we will give one month’s time for objections/suggestions on the draft. We will again come back for a personal hearing on the issues raised in regard to the draft,” the CEC said.
“We assure we will give serious consideration to the suggestions given by the stakeholders,” he said.
Rubbishing “rumours” about a draft circulating even before the stakeholder consultations, the CEC said the ECI has always adhered to two foundational pillars – disclosure and participation of stakeholders.
Reacting to the allegation of the Congress about the delimitation exercise being “pre-determined and politically-motivated”, the CEC said the ECI has no record of “being dictated.”
The CEC further said that the number of legislative and parliamentary seats in Assam would remain unchanged and only the boundaries would be readjusted within the existing legal and constitutional framework in the first phase.
Regarding reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), he said it would be done on the basis of proportion of population of SCs and STs to the total population where (in a constituency) their population is largest in number.
On the period of completion of the exercise, Kumar said that it could not be disclosed. “However, we can say that it will be done with extreme care. It is a complex exercise and different political, historical, cultural, demographic aspects have to be taken into account
To a question as to why the 2001 census and not the latest census (2011) was not taken into account, the CEC said that the exercise was carried out strictly on the basis of the constitutional and legal provisions.
On the legality of a simultaneous exercise of NRC and delimitation, the CEC clarified that the two issues are different and that there is no legal bar in carrying out two processes separately and simultaneously.
“Besides, there is no legal sequencing which law provides. The NRC and delimitation of constituencies are two legally distinct activities not having a legal bar. They are carried out under different legislative frameworks,” he said.
Regarding a query as to why a separate delimitation was not constituted for the exercise in Assam, CEC said that the delimitation exercise in Assam was deferred in the state through an earlier notification and the same was rescinded by the President in February 2020.
“The jurisdiction of the commission has been triggered by a letter by the law and justice ministry on November 15, 2022, requesting the poll body to start the process of delimitation. Section 8A of the People’s Representation Act mandates the ECI to carry out the delimitation exercise,” Kumar said.
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