The three-member team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) met around 60 civil organizations in the last two days for suggestions on the delimitation exercise of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in Assam.
This was stated by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Rajiv Kumar while addressing a press conference on the delimitation exercise in Guwahati on Tuesday. Election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel were also present in the press briefing.
Rajiv Kumar said, “We met around 60 civil organizations who gave their recommendations on the delimitation exercise. We held discussions with nine recognized and State political parties and other organizations in the last two days. The political parties that met us were Trinamool Congress, BJP, CPI, CPI (M), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Nationalist Congress Party, AIUDF, Bodoland People's Front, UPPL, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Lok Shakti Party and Raijor Dal. Representatives of all parties submitted their representations.”
The civil society organizations that presented their suggestions to the commission were Bodoland organizations, students’ unions and communities such as Gorkhas, Ahoms & Garo, etc, according to Rajiv Kumar.
Rajiv Kumar further said, “We also met district magistrates and secretaries. We asked Deputy Commissioners to channel the aspirations of all those who were not able to meet the ECI.”
Meanwhile, Rajiv Kumar also said that the 126 assembly seats and 14 parliamentary seats in Assam would remain the same after the completion of the process of redrawing of boundaries of the constituencies in the State.
"126 assembly seats and 14 parliamentary seats will remain the same. We have given time by extending the date to April 15 and during that time anybody can give their suggestion to the ECI. We will then publish a draft and will give one-month time for taking suggestions on it. We will come back to Assam again to provide a personal hearing of the issues listed in the draft,” Rajiv Kumar said.
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that they received suggestions from stakeholders and it helped them a lot. These suggestions were competing and conflicting claims, having people on both sides of the claim.
