With an ongoing delimitation exercise taking a centre-stage in Jammu and Kashmir’s frozen politics, the Delimitation Commission’s December 20 meeting with its five associate members from the Union Territory (UT) in New Delhi has assumed significance.
The Commission, headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai, called the crucial meeting with five Lok Sabha members from J&K, who are associate members of the panel, to discuss and share with them the progress achieved on the delimitation of 90 Assembly constituencies in J&K.
It is widely speculated that the meeting has been called following uproar by political parties over uncertainty created by the Union Home Ministry’s recent reply on its deadline for submitting the report in the Parliament.
On Wednesday, National Conference (NC) president and Lok Sabha member Farooq Abdullah had slammed the Centre for deviating from its promise and assurance that there will be no extension to the Delimitation Commission beyond March 6, 2022, for submitting its report to pave the way for elections to the J&K legislative assembly.
The Commission was set up by the Union Law Ministry on March 6, 2020, with one-year tenure. However, with little work in a year, its term was extended by another year in March this year. Since it was constituted, the panel has made only one visit to J&K for four days from July 6-9 this year while it could hold only one meeting with the associate members on February 18 this year in New Delhi.
The three MPs of the NC – Farooq Abdullah, Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi – who are associate members of the Commission, had boycotted February 18 meeting in New Delhi on the pretext that the party has challenged J&K Reorganization Act-2019 in the Supreme Court under which delimitation of the constituencies has been taken up.
However, it is unlikely that the NC will give a miss to the meeting this time as there is an overwhelming view within the party that it should associate itself with the Commission to project its viewpoint and not leave the space open for the ruling BJP.
While the Commission has not spelt out the agenda of the meeting, it is widely believed it could either discuss contours of the process with the associate members or could share a draft report with them for their comments.
Sources said the Commission may consider giving representation to Kashmiri Pandits in the Assembly since it will be difficult for the community under normal circumstances to send its representative to the House.
NC MP from Anantnag Lok Sabha seat Hasnain Masoodis said they are unaware of the proceedings of the panel. “Associate members have no role to disagree with any decision or viewpoint of the commission. Our role is confined to sharing viewpoints only,” he said.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have several times in the past stated that assembly polls in J&K will be held only after the completion of delimitation.
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