Assam delimitation draft: What changes it proposes, why it has led to protests

Source: The post is based on the article “Assam delimitation draft: What changes it proposes, why it has led to protests” published in Indian Express on 27th June 2023

What is the News?

Election Commission (EC) has released a draft delimitation document for Assam, proposing a change in boundaries of several Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies of the state.

What is Delimitation?

Click Here to read

Why is Delimitation being done in Assam now?

The slated delimitation process was done in the rest of the country in 2008. But it was deferred in Assam (as well as some other Northeastern states) citing security concerns of the time. 

A 2020 notification from the Law Ministry officially revived the exercise in Assam. Following that, in December 2022 the EC announced that it would initiate the Delimitation exercise.

What are the key highlights of the Draft delimitation document for Assam?

The number of seats (126 Assembly and 14 Lok Sabha) have been retained the same. But the EC has proposed changes in several other areas, such as:

Reserved seats increased: SC assembly seats have increased from 8 to 9; ST assembly seats have increased from 16 to 19.

Districts with autonomous councils (administered under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution) get more seats: one assembly seat increased in West Karbi Anglong District; three assembly seats increased in the Bodo Territorial Region.

Change in nomenclature: Kaliabor Lok Sabha constituency is now named ‘Kaziranga’.

Why has the Draft delimitation document for Assam been criticized?

Firstly, the state’s Bengali-origin Muslim community has opposed this draft, alleging that it deprives them politically. They have alleged that constituencies have been shaped in such a manner that minority areas have been mixed with majority [Hindu] populations. 

Secondly, opposition parties had raised concerns about the use of 2001 Census data instead of the more recent 2011 Census records for delimitation.