As was expected, the finalizing of its order by the Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has run into serious controversy in the union territory over its recommendation of not only granting more seats to the Jammu division but also redrawing the boundaries of the electoral constituencies to suit what political opponents say the ideological agenda of the BJP.
Out of seven additional Assembly seats, the Commission has given Jammu six and just one to Kashmir Valley. Similarly, the Commission has been accused of gerrymandering to reduce the electoral weight of the Muslim majority constituencies.
The new additions have taken the total Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir to 90. The number of seats in Jammu has increased from 37 to 43, while the number of seats in Kashmir has gone from 46 to 47. This is despite the fact that an estimated 70 lakh people live in the Valley, according to 2011 census, compared to 53 lakhs in Jammu division.
However, the number of Parliamentary constituencies, which was earlier three for Kashmir and two for Jammu hasn’t been changed.- although their boundaries have been altered.
The commission has also recommended reserving nine seats for Scheduled Tribes on the basis of population. Seven seats are proposed for the Scheduled Caste community. These seats will be chosen from among the 90 seats of the legislature.
The glaring difference in the seat-sharing between two regions has become a huge bone of contention in J&K with political parties like National Conference, the PDP, the People’s Conference and even the Apni Party terming the new delimitation as unacceptable.
Gerrymandering?
The Commission has radically changed the boundaries of the constituencies in Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of the Kashmir division.
In Kashmir Valley, the only additional seat has been carved in Kupwara district. The new seat has been named after the township of Trehgam and it includes Keran, parts of Kralpora tehsil among others.
Similarly in Baramulla district which has five Assembly segments, two seats have been renamed as Kunzer and Tangmarg constituencies and they have been carved by splitting Gulmarg and merging the Sangrama constituency. Gulmarg and Sangrama constituencies as they were named earlier have ceased to exist.
