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The Centre is going to introduce a Bill in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament to amend two electoral laws that will give voting rights to people who became Indian citizens following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to amend Section 11 of the Delimitation Act, 2002, and Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, that will allow this limited exercise of delimitation of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal following the exchange of 51 Bangladeshi and 111 Indian enclaves in July last year.
Following the delimitation, the people residing in these areas will be made voters of their respective Assembly and parliamentary constituencies.
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In a historic pact between India and Bangladesh, 51 Bangladeshi enclaves (Chhitmahals) in Indian territory and 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh territory were exchanged with effect from July 31, 2015. The move altered the geography and demography of the district of Cooch Behar.
With a view to carry out consequential geographic and demographic alterations vis-à-vis the electoral mosaic of the affected areas, the Election Commission requested to amend Section 11 of the Delimitation Act and Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act to enable it to carry out limited delimitation of constituencies in the affected areas.
Since the newly acquired area has become part of the Indian territory, it is required to make delimitation exercise within the limited constituency area before the ensuing state Assembly elections in West Bengal.
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