Srinagar, Apr 15: If Parliament approves the proposed legislations on the delimitation of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies, the Jammu & Kashmir’s Assembly seats will undergo delimitation for the sixth time.
According to official documents, Assembly seats in Jammu & Kashmir have previously been delimited in 1957, 1966, 1975, 1995 and 2022.
In 1951, Jammu & Kashmir witnessed the carving out of 100 seats, including 25 seats for areas of the state under Pakistan’s occupation. This arrangement underwent changes during the delimitation exercises carried out in 1957, 1966, 1975, and 1995.
The last delimitation exercise in the erstwhile state was completed in 1995, based on the 1981 census, after deliberations that lasted seven years.
Before 2019, the delimitation of Assembly seats in Jammu & Kashmir was governed by the Jammu & Kashmir Constitution and the Jammu & Kashmir Representation of Peoples Act, 1957, while the delimitation of parliamentary seats was governed by the Constitution of India.
The situation changed in 2019 with the abrogation of Article 370, when the Centre made legal provisions in the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act to carry out delimitation exercise.
In 2020, the Union Government constituted a three-member commission headed by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Desai to increase seats as well as redraw the boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. The exercise was completed in 2022, with the commission unveiling its final award. (KNO)
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