Keep it fair and open: J&K parties to delimitation panel

Delegations of several political parties including the National Conference met the Delimitation Commission in Srinagar on Tuesday and expressed concerns and reservations regarding the ongoing exercise.

Members of the commission, led by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, arrived in the city in the morning on a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and met the delegations at a hotel till late evening. The parties submitted their memorandums to the commission for consideration.

“We request the commission to carry out the delimitation exercise in a free, fair and transparent manner so that the unity and integrity of the state is safeguarded. Population has to be the only norm ...,” the National Conference told the commission.

J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who met the commission members, said his party also reiterated that the decisions of August 5, 2019, were unconstitutional and undemocratic. “Congress would be unable to say anything about the exercise, until delimitation commission informs us about their blueprint prepared in last 16 months. There are apprehensions about this Delimitation Commission,” Mir told media persons after the meeting.

“A lot was being changed in J&K after the removal of Article 370. Especially some districts of Jammu are very large in area and are mostly hilly. These districts should be redefined,” read the BJP memorandum.

The J&K People’s Conference, however, said it has full faith in the commission and urged the body to ensure that there is abundant transparency, noticeable impartiality and perceptible fairness on the part of the body.

Delegations of other parties such as J&K Apni Party, J&K People’s Movement, Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI and CPM also met the commission members and submitted their memorandums.

PDP, ANC refuse to meet panel
The Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Awami National Conference decided not to meet the commission, saying it lacks legal and constitutional mandate.

In a statement, the PDP said the delimitation exercise was “pre-planned”, which might hurt the interests of the people.

Mufti tweeted that the Enforcement Directorate had sent her mother a notice on Tuesday, linking it to the party’s decision not to meet the Delimitation Commission members.

The J&K ANC said the creation of the commission stands challenged before the Supreme Court and that it does not want to interfere in court matters.