SC dismisses challenge to delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir
New Delhi, February 13: On Monday the Apex court dismissed which challenged the delimitation exercise that carried out for redrawing the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory ad Jammu and Kashmir. The opposition alleged favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Today, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions that challenged the delimitation commission that was set up for redrawing the assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. This happened right after it was bifurcated and downgraded into two UT in 2019, when its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution was scrapped.
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One of the petitioners, Haji Abdul Gani Khan from Srinagar, said the commission was constitutionally not valid as there is a bar on redrawing or delimitation anywhere in the country before 2026. Another petitioner Muhammad Ayub Matto said the same.
They were continuously arguing that the constituencies that it was fixed on the basis of the 1971 Census and that should remain unchanged until the first census after 2026.
A bench of Justices SK Kaul and AS Oka delivered the verdict on a plea filed by two Kashmir residents.
While pronouncing the verdict, Justice Oka said nothing in this judgement shall be construed as giving an imprimatur to the exercise of power under clauses one and three of Article 370 of the Constitution.
The panel completed delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir in May last year and revised 90 assembly and five parliamentary constituencies.
The new Jammu and Kashmir assembly has 114 seats. Twenty-four seats are assigned to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and voting will take place for 90 seats - 43 in the Jammu region and 47 seats in the Kashmir Valley. The Delimitation Commission has recommended that PoJK (Pak-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir) refugees and two Kashmiri migrants be nominated to the assembly.
- With inputs from agencies
