The proposal is to redraw several assembly segments in the UT in a manner that would allocate six additional seats to the Jammu division and one to the Kashmir division. One additional constituency is proposed in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar in Jammu division, and Kupwara in the Kashmir Valley. Changes are also proposed in the Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of the Kashmir division by realigning of constituencies. So far as the Lok Sabha constituencies are concerned, the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri have been added to the Ananatnag Constituency.
For the first time, the Commission has proposed reserving nine seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs) on the basis of population. Seven seats are proposed for the Scheduled Castes (SCs). An additional 24 seats are proposed to be reserved for Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). Once these proposed additions are effected, the total number of Assembly constituencies in the UT of J&K will rise to 90. Jammu will go up from 37 to 43 and Kashmir will go up from 46 to 47.
As was expected the proposal has been rejected by the National Conference on the premise of it being "unconstitutional." The party has further stated that the commission has not incorporated its suggestions made on the earlier draft proposal. Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP has gone a step further to say that, "The delimitation exercise is done to further the BJP agenda and has shown no regard to law and constitution." The recommendations or objections of associate members, however, are not binding on the Commission.
The objections being raised are quite mundane in nature. For example, the merger of Poonch and Rajouri with Anantnag as a parliamentary constituency is contested on grounds of there being less connectivity since the Mughal road stays closed during winters. A positive attitude would entail construction of all weather connectivity which is definitely a possibility considering the leaps made by the country in creation of road infrastructure.
Since the PDP has chosen to put the blame specifically on the BJP the party has also responded with alacrity. "After the delimitation, the National Conference and People's Democratic Party are shouting because their fiefdom and their dynastic politics is over," said Yudhvir Sethi, the vice-president of the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.
Politicians from the Kashmir region are trying hard to raise temperatures in the UT in order to keep their hold over the region to whatever extent possible. As the opposition from the Kashmiri leadership intensifies, the time tested methodology of getting caste in the equation and speaking of the centre attempting to create a communal drive is expected to gain momentum. There will be talk of the redrawing of constituencies in J&K becoming another 1987 moment in Kashmir. It will also be said that once the Governor's rule is removed and the UT legislature is in place, the dispensation will be reversed. All of the above constitutes petty politics that will be played by a political dispensation that stands rejected by the people.
The security forces have contained terrorism and created a situation where normal activity can be carried out in the entire UT. The people are moving out to their work and business without fear and intimidation, they are more interested in the influx of capital and infrastructure leading to better economic opportunities than in the petty politics of the Kashmir based political parties.
The overall impression is that the Delimitation Commission, by bringing about a much needed balance in the electoral constituencies of the UT, is correcting a wrong that had been perpetrated by devious means seven decades back. The artificial shackles created by repressive unconstitutional means are being replaced with more inclusive democratic norms. Overall, the work of the commission is noble and justified. There is a high expectancy of the proposals of the commission being accepted by the people even as those with vested interests continue with the opposition.
File representational images from Twitter
(Onkareshwar Pandey is a senior journalist and columnist)