Delimitation Commission gets extension of 2 months amid uproar against J&K draft report
Highlights
- The Delimitation Commission has been extended by 2 more months.
- The move comes amid uproar against its recently released Jammu and Kashmir draft proposal.
- The term of the panel was earlier supposed to end on March 6.
The Delimitation Commission on Tuesday got extended by 2 more months amid uproar against its recently released Jammu and Kashmir draft proposal. The commission is meant for deciding the electoral constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir and redrawing them.
The term of the panel was supposed to end on March 6. Formed in March 2020, the panel was granted a one-year extension last year. Headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, it has Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and the state election commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir as its ex-officio members.
In the recent notice extending the Delimitation Commission, the Centre said, "In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Delimitation Act, 2022 (33 of 2002), the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendments in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department), number S.O 1015(E) dated the 06th March 2020 namely:- In the said notification, in paragraph 2, for the words, 'two years, the words, 'two years and two months, shall be substituted."
The BJP recieved backlash from the opposition parties on Friday as the draft report of the Delimitation Commission got released. It was accused by its rivals of scripting in its office a draft report of the Delimitation Commission after an audio of a purported conversation between the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Ravinder Raina and ex-minister Shakti Parihar surfaced on social media.
Demanding a probe, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress said the leaked audio has vindicated its stand that the administration "scripted the delimitation report in their (BJP party) office".
"It is against the autonomy of the constitutional and autonomous independent institutions of the country and cast aspersions on its independent working," JK Congress chief Gulam Ahmed Mir told reporters.
Jammu and Kashmir at present has no legislative assembly. It is a union territory with a provision for a legislature.
Also Read: Sikh body opposes proposal of Delimitation Commission, demands 8 seats in J&K assembly
