SRINAGAR: At least two segments in Jammu that the delimitation commission had erased from the electoral map of Jammu and Kashmir might be restored, reports appearing in the media said. This is one of the few suggestions that the commission will accept from the associate members.
It will include Haba Kadal in Srinagar and Suchetgarh in Jammu. While the first is the Kashmiri Pandit only identity seat, the latter was a BJP stronghold.
“The panel held deliberations and accepted certain suggestions given by five associate members. Now we will go back to associate members and share with them the decisions taken today,” reports quoted officials appeared in the media said.
After the draft proposals were shared by the Commission with the associate members, the BJP had demanded the restoration of the Suchetgarh segment that had been merged with RS Pura and Bishnah. They also had sought de-reservation of at least one of the three seats in Poonch district as all three were reserved for Scheduled Tribes.
“The restoration of these assembly constituencies may require a slight readjustment and redrawing of their boundaries,” The Times of India, reported. “The return of Habba Kadal assembly constituency may involve replacing the new Srinagar (South) assembly segment proposed in the draft, though the composition may more or less remain the same. With Suchetgarh back on the constituency map, R S Pora may now form part of the Jammu (South) assembly constituency. Local BJP members had been protesting against the proposed merger of Suchetgarh into R S Pora assembly seat.”
NC had sought undoing of the South Kashmir Lok Sabha seat that has been merged with Poonch and Rajouri.
The reworked draft, incorporating the accepted suggestions, will be shared with the associate members on Friday, for their views. Once they accept, it will be put in the public domain.
