President Murmu approves Assam delimitation, CM Sarma calls it a ‘significant milestone’

On Wednesday, August 16, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that President Droupadi Murmu has approved the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the state. The Assam CM termed the development a “significant milestone in the history of Assam”. 

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the approval of the delimitation notification issued by the Election Commission of India and shared the image of the Gazette notification in this regard. 

“Today the Honorable President has approved the Delimitation Notification issued by the Election Commission of India for Assam. A significant milestone has been achieved in the history of Assam. Jai Maa Bharati, Jai Maa Asom,” CM Sarma wrote.

Today the Honorable President has approved the Delimitation Notification issued by the Election Commission of India for Assam.

A significant milestone has been achieved in the history of Assam.
Jai Maa Bharati
Jai Aai Asom pic.twitter.com/TAtJShfxK0

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 16, 2023

Meanwhile, the Congress party has slammed the BJP government over the issue accusing it of ‘authoritarianism’. Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi claimed that the delimitation is targeted against opposition seats adding that it would benefit the BJP and Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

Assam delimitation report

According to the Election Commission report on Assam delimitation, the number of parliamentary and assembly constituencies shall remain unchanged at 14 and 126 respectively. 

The election commission has altered the nomenclature of one parliamentary and 19 assembly constituencies. Moreover, 19 assembly and two Lok Sabha seats have been set aside for Scheduled Tribes (STS). Scheduled Castes (SCs) have been allocated one Lok Sabha seat and nine assembly seats. It is notable that the 2001 Census was used to delimit all assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the state.

In response to public demand, one parliamentary and some assembly constituencies have been given “paired names” such as Darrang-Udalgiri, Hajo-Sualkuchi, Boko-Chaygaon, Nagaon-Batadraba, Bhowanipur-Sorbhog, and Algapur-Katlichera.

In reference to several significant features of the final report, the Election Commission (EC) stated that the lowest administrative unit in rural areas is a ‘village’ and a ‘ward’ in urban areas. In accordance with this, villages and wards have been preserved and have not been broken anywhere in the state.

It is worth noting that, in July of this year, the Supreme Court refused to stop the ongoing delimitation exercise in Assam but agreed to consider a challenge brought by the state’s opposition leaders.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued a notice to the Centre on the plea and directed it to submit an affidavit within three weeks.

Refusing to halt the Election Commission’s delimitation procedure in Assam, the bench had stated that it would not issue any order preventing the election commission from taking any further action pertaining to the delimitation exercise in the state.