Assam: Protesters detained in Karimganj amid bandh against EC’s delimitation plan

This comes amid a 12-hour bandh initiated by several political parties including the Congress and the AIUDF, against the plan to reduce the number of Assembly seats in some areas. The bandh took place in several districts of the Barak Valley, including Cachar and Halakandi, apart from Karimganj.

#WATCH | Assam: Police detained protesters in Karimganj who were protesting against the proposed delimitation draft by the Election Commission of India (ECI)

Several organisations and political parties have called for a 12-hour bandh in Barak Valley, Cachar, Karimganj and… pic.twitter.com/acAUqXhDcU

— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2023

Last week, the ECI had published a draft proposal for delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in Assam as part of the first delimitation exercise in the state since 1976. As per the proposal, the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies would remain the same — 14 and 126, respectively — but there are proposed changes in boundaries and names, and addition of new constituencies in some areas and reduction in others.

It proposes reducing the number of Assembly constituencies from 15 to 13 in the three districts of Barak Valley — Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj — which has sparked protests by political leaders in the region.