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Apart from reducing the number of assembly seats in the Barak valley, the ECI has proposed to reserve the Silchar Lok Sabha seat for the Scheduled Castes and has proposed to make the Karimganj seat a general seat, which was an SC reserved seat since Independence. (Representational pic/Shutterstock)
The Election Commission released a draft for delimitation in Assam on June 20 and proposed to reduce assembly seats in Barak valley, which had 15 constituencies till the 2021 polls, to 13
The proposed delimitation draft by the Election Commission of India for Assam has received a lot of criticism from opposition parties. A 12-hour bandh was also called on Tuesday by Silchar-based political party Barak Democratic Front (BDF) in three districts of Barak valley: Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi. There were mixed reactions to this in the valley, where most shops and markets were open, though a few remained closed.
The ECI released a draft for delimitation in Assam on June 20 and proposed to reduce assembly seats in Barak valley, which had 15 constituencies till the 2021 elections, to 13. Apart from demographic changes, names of a few constituencies will also be changed as per the proposal.
The bandh was also supported by the Congress and AIUDF in the state.
Speaking to CNN-News18, APCC president Bhupen Bora said, “Assam Congress will meet the ECI over the delimitation. The draft is unconstitutional. Assam CM and BJP have prepared the draft for BJP and RSS interests. Not just one, but a lot of protests are ongoing in the state. If the ECI doesn’t accept our demand, we might go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. Several organisations, political parties and leaders from the ruling BJP have expressed dissatisfaction over the ECI’s draft and BDF was quick to call for a bandh. It was first scheduled for June 30 but on Saturday, they advanced it to June 27.”
AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said, “It has become a common agenda for the people of Barak valley. The bandh was also supported by some BJP MPs and MLAs. Where the population has increased, there should have been an increase in seats. Rather they are decreased. So most people are dissatisfied about the delimitation draft. It’s the issue of Karimganj, it’s the issue of SCs in Silchar, Muslim issues are also very strong. Over 400 people were detained during the protest. Everyone is protesting…Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself said that he is doing this to protect the indigenous people. He is doing it, but not for the indigenous people. It’s done for BJP and RSS.”
The AIUDF will also sit for a meeting to decide its future course of action against the delimitation draft and if needed will approach the Supreme Court, say leaders.
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