Exempt Assam from delimitation: Parties

An all-party delegation from Assam has urged the Centre to exempt the state from delimitation of assembly constituencies on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir.

An all-party delegation from Assam has urged the Centre to exempt the state from delimitation of assembly constituencies on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir.

Led by Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai, the delegates on Tuesday made an impassioned plea before home minister Shivraj Patil, saying that the exercise cannot be executed in a 8216;just and proper8217; manner in the state till the National Register of CitizensNRC was updated and insurgency brought under control.

8220;The home minister gave us a patient hearing and has assured that the matter would be taken up with the Prime Minister and Law Minister,8221; said education minister Ripun Bora. Barring the AGP, all other parties, including the BJP and CPI, were represented.

According to the delegates, updating the NRC was of utmost importance since it would reflect the actual population pattern in each district. It is apprehended that a huge number of illegal migrants, who have managed to acquire permanent resident certificates and other documents, have been enrolled as voters. Updating the NRC, which was provided for in the Assam Accord 1985, will be based on the 1971 voters8217; list which means that doubtful voters would be deleted.

The constituencies of several political heavyweights in Assam, including Union ministers Santosh Mohan Dev and B K Handique, some cabinet ministers and MPs, would be affected if delimitation is carried out. The Delimitation Commission was earlier prevailed upon by the state government to halt the process following objections from ethnic groups, but two draft working papers have already been issued that propose to bring about a significant alteration in the electoral map of the state.

Assam8217;s opposition to delimitation comes close on the heels of similar arguments forwarded by Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh among the Northeastern states.

The memorandum further explained that the entire state machinery was involved in combating insurgency due to which the administration was not in a position to devote time to the exercise. 8220;If the Delimitation Commission publishes the final proposals of Assembly and Parlimentary constituencies of Assam, it will lead to another serious law and order problem in the entire state by way of social and political unrest.8221;

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Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in the capital, has also urged law minister Hansraj Bhardwaj to consider the plea. The delegation plans to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and chairman Justice Kuldeep Singh tomorrow with the same demand.