Guwahati: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday began its public hearing here on the proposal for delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies of Assam.
The commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and two election commissioners, Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, will hear the representatives. political partycivil society organizations and other sections of society for three days till Friday.
After the proposal was published in June 2023, suggestions and objections were invited till July 11 and the commission received over 780 representations during this period. Keeping the number of assembly seats in the state at 126 and the number of Lok Sabha constituencies at 14, the commission has proposed to increase the assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes from eight to nine and for Scheduled Tribes from 16 to 19. For parliamentary constituencies, the commission has proposed to reserve two seats under the ST category and one seat for the SC community.
The Election Commission also plans to change the geographical boundaries of most of the constituencies, both in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha, while some seats will be abolished and some new seats will be created. “The public hearing is part of the consultative exercise by the commission during the process of delimitation,” the commission said in a statement. The delimitation exercise will be based on the 2001 census. The last delimitation process in Assam took place in 1976 on the basis of the 1971 census.
On the first day suggestions were heard from Kamrup Metropolitan, West Karbi Anglong, Chirang, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Kamrup, Udalguri, Karbi Anglong and Kokrajhar districts. The ECI has received over 270 representations from these sectors.
Feedback on the draft from Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Darrang, Hailakandi, Cachar, South Salmara, Nagaon, Morigaon and Dhubri districts will be heard on Thursday. More than 400 suggestions have been received from these districts. The commission will hear over 95 representations from Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Golaghat and Majuli districts on the last day.
In addition, six suggestions have been received from various national and state political parties.
The commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and two election commissioners, Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, will hear the representatives. political partycivil society organizations and other sections of society for three days till Friday.
After the proposal was published in June 2023, suggestions and objections were invited till July 11 and the commission received over 780 representations during this period. Keeping the number of assembly seats in the state at 126 and the number of Lok Sabha constituencies at 14, the commission has proposed to increase the assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Castes from eight to nine and for Scheduled Tribes from 16 to 19. For parliamentary constituencies, the commission has proposed to reserve two seats under the ST category and one seat for the SC community.
The Election Commission also plans to change the geographical boundaries of most of the constituencies, both in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha, while some seats will be abolished and some new seats will be created. “The public hearing is part of the consultative exercise by the commission during the process of delimitation,” the commission said in a statement. The delimitation exercise will be based on the 2001 census. The last delimitation process in Assam took place in 1976 on the basis of the 1971 census.
On the first day suggestions were heard from Kamrup Metropolitan, West Karbi Anglong, Chirang, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Kamrup, Udalguri, Karbi Anglong and Kokrajhar districts. The ECI has received over 270 representations from these sectors.
Feedback on the draft from Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Darrang, Hailakandi, Cachar, South Salmara, Nagaon, Morigaon and Dhubri districts will be heard on Thursday. More than 400 suggestions have been received from these districts. The commission will hear over 95 representations from Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Golaghat and Majuli districts on the last day.
In addition, six suggestions have been received from various national and state political parties.