Assam: Congress refuses to meet ECI over delimitation

Opposition parties have questioned the need for conducting the delimitation exercise based on the 2001 census and not the 2011 census

Opposition Congress has refused to meet top Election Commission of India (ECI) officials visiting Assam for consultations with political parties over a delimitation process, saying it will not do so unless its concerns over the merger of districts ahead of the redrawing of electoral boundaries are addressed.

An ECI team arrived in Guwahati on Sunday. (HT PHOTO)

State Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah on Monday questioned the need for the merger ahead of the exercise and said it could benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) electorally.

“We are not opposed to the delimitation process. We met ECI officials in New Delhi on January 4 and sought clarification on some of our concerns. But despite assurances, we are yet to get any response from them. Till our concerns are addressed, we will not meet the ECI team,” said Borah.

Opposition parties have questioned the need for conducting the delimitation based on the 2001 census and not the 2011 census. “When we have data from the 2011 census, what is the need to conduct the exercise based on the 2001 census?” asked Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s state chief Ripun Bora.

The last delimitation exercise in Assam was undertaken in 1976 based on the 1971 census. There would be no increase in the number of seats after the fresh delimitation exercise. Assam has 126 assembly and 14 parliamentary seats.

The delimitation exercise in Assam was suspended in 2008 following suggestions by the then Congress government that it might create law and order problems.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has maintained the state government has no role in the exercise

Representatives of BJP, United People Party Liberal, Asom Gana Parishad, Communist Party of India (Marxist), All India United Democratic Front, Raijor Dal, and TMC met chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arup Goyal on Monday.

The ECI team arrived in Guwahati on Sunday.