Won’t oppose delimitation process in principle: Congress

GUWAHATI: The panel, set up by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) to oversee the assembly constituency delimitation exercise in Assam, announced on Wednesday that it ‘will not oppose’ the delimitation process ‘in principle’. On December 31 last year, Congress had protested against the amalgamation of four Assam districts ahead of the exercise.
A day before the Election Commission’s ban on creating or reshuffling any administrative units in the state, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced his cabinet’s decision on December 31 last year, to remerge four districts of the state with the original districts from which these were carved out a few years ago. In political circles, the decision, which Sarma said was taken on ‘administrative reasons’, bears major political significance.
The panel chairperson, Rakibul Hussain, on Wednesday said though the design and methodology for the delimitation exercise is yet to be known, the committee has decided ‘not to oppose’ the exercise. “Delimitation was inevitable and thus, in principle, we won’t oppose it. However, we have point out the way in which it was being done. Our grievances have already been informed to the Election Commission,” Hussain said.
“There is a resentment among various communities, who fear that there may be a conspiracy to reduce the number of their representatives after the delimitation,” Hussain said. He alleged that there may also be a conspiracy within the saffron party to ensure defeat of some BJP MLAs after assembly reshuffle.
Manjit Mahanta, chairman of the media cell of state PCC, said the delimitation based on 2001 census report was undesirable. He also questioned the role of Aasu and BJP’s ally AGP, who were opposing the delimitation move about 15 years ago based on 2001 census and wanted to wait till NRC update is done.