Guwahati, June 21: Opposition leaders in Assam said that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is misleading the people with the claim that his Assembly constituency would no longer exist after the draft delimitation proposal was published by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In response, Sarma posted on Twitter: “The draft delimitation published by ECI today stipulate that the current Jalukbari constituency, which I have represented since 2001, will no longer exist as it has been divided into three parts. I am feeling very saddened by this news. However, I welcome the draft paper as it accurately reflects the sentiments of Assam.”
But, in the draft under Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, the Jalukbari constituency is mentioned at serial no. 37.
The electoral area of Jalukbari will have 11 wards of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, North Guwahati Municipal Board, and Rani Development Block.
Speaking to IANS, the Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debarata Saikia said: “The Jalukbari constituency is there in the draft proposal. Its area has been altered and this is because of the Chief Minister’s decision in a cabinet meeting to change the district boundaries of Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup (Rural) districts just before the delimitation process began in the state.”
According to Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah, the Chief Minister has been shedding crocodile tears to mislead the people and gain sympathy.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said: “A day before the delimitation kicked off in Assam on January 1 this year, Sarma changed the administrative boundaries of few districts in such a way that a large population of Scheduled Caste (SC) voters was displaced from the Jalukbari constituency with a specific motive.
“Now the Chief Minister has been saying other things which are strange.”