Srinagar, July 10, 2021 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, all eyes are on framing of a report by three member Delimitation Commission that concluded its 4-day visit to the occupied territory where its members met leaders of various pro-India political parties and representatives of various groups.

The three-member Delimitation Commission appointed in February 2020 is headed by Retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai while Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra, Jammu and Kashmir Election Commissioner Kewal Kumar Sharma are its members.

The Commission met leaders and groups from various communities of Kashmir on July 6 and 7, and leaders from Jammu on July 8 and 9. What was seen there were divergent views from political parties based in Kashmir and Jammu? The Kashmir centric parties hinted that the delimitation exercise would favor a particular political party by raising seats in Jammu where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won maximum electoral seats in previous elections. While leaders of Jammu believe that they were underrepresented in the assembly.

Political analysts and experts believe that although a major stakeholder in IIOJK, the Delimitation Commission members did not meet the Hurriyat leadership which speaks volume of the lopsided exercise by the Indian government that is aimed at portrayal to the world community that all is well in Kashmir.

On the other hand, the Kahsmir Valley and Jammu‘s pro-India politicians are also bickering over their respective stances regarding the delimitation exercise.

Political analysts believe this has turned the game quite interesting whether the Delimitation Commission increases some seats in Jammu region as pro-India political parties in the Valley have alleged that the delimitation exercise is a “pre-planned” to favour BJP. Pro-India political parties of the valley say that delimitation should be done based on the 2011 population census or should be delayed till statehood is restored.

The ten districts of Kashmir Valley with nearly seven million residents, as per the 2011 census, has 46 seats while the Jammu Division with its population of a little more than five million had 37 seats in the 83 member assembly whose strength was raised to 90 after August 2019. Another 24 seats remain vacant as they have been reserved for the Kashmiris living across the Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The experts cited a letter written by PDP to the Delimitation Commission, which stated they cannot be a part of some exercise, the outcome of which is widely believed to be pre-planned and which may further hurt the interests of our people. The process is aimed at realizing the political vision of a particular political party in JandK wherein, like other things, the views and wishes of the people of JandK would be considered the least. It is widespread belief that contours and outcome of the exercise here pre-planned and the exercise per say is mere formality, reads of letter of the PDP to the Delimitation Commission.

The members of Delimitation Commission at a press conference on Friday said the “exercise will be transparent, and will put final draft for objections, debate”.

“There were 12 districts in 1995 which had increased to 20 now. The number of tehsils has gone up from 58 to 270. In 12 districts, constituency boundaries are extended beyond the district’s limit. There is an overlapping of districts as well as the tehsils in Constituencies. All such facts indicate that the public faces inconvenience due to such anomalies,” the members of the commission said.

They said the first draft will be prepared based on the demands of the people and political parties. According to reports, for the first time, some seats are likely to be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the seats for Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be increased by seven seats and they will go up from 83 to 90 post-delimitation.

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