Anantnag: A day after meeting different political delegations in Srinagar, the Delimitation Commission members arrived in South Kashmir's Pahalgam on Wednesday to hold further meetings with other groups. The Commission is visiting Jammu and Kashmir to start the process of delimitation exercise in the Union Territory which was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Several delegations from the National Conference (NC), Congress, BJP, Apni Party, Pahari forum, Gujjar and Bakerwal Ittehad, etc met the Commission.
Various DDC members, higher officials of district administrations from all the four districts of South Kashmir- Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama- also met the Delimitation Commission in Pahalgam. On Tuesday, the Commission held a series of meetings with the delegations of the BJP, BSP, CPI, NC, Congress and the PC. However, the PDP led by Mehbooba Mufti and the JKANC decided to stay away from the delimitation process.
Read:| Delimitation panel meets political delegations in Srinagar, PDP, ANC absent
The Delimitation Commission for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir was formed on March 6 last year, just six months after the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 was amended and the region split into two Union Territories – J&K with a legislative assembly, and Ladakh without one.
Earlier, the delimitation of the constituencies in J&K was scheduled to be held in 2026. However, following the Central government’s changes in J&K after August 5, 2019, the J&K Reorganisation Act increased the number of voting constituencies for J&K from 87 to 90. The commission has nearly nine months left to complete the exercise.
Read:| PDP to boycott Delimitation Commission meet
The delimitation issue was discussed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with 14 political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on June 24. The Centre has sought the completion of the delimitation exercise before Assembly polls are held in the UT. Political reactions are coming after the meeting.
Read:| Delimitation commission to begin J&K visit today, PDP to skip meet
