Population not sole criteria for J&K delimitation: CEC Chandra

New Delhi: Population was an important but not the sole criteria while carrying out the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said on Friday and asserted that the union territory has to be seen as "one unit" where the entire population has to be given representation in 90 assembly constituencies. Chandra, who was an ex-officio member of the delimitation panel which gave its final order on restructuring the assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month, also said there were "lots of problems" with the earlier delimitation and those have been corrected now.

Chandra, who demits the office of CEC on Saturday, said Jammu and Kashmir should be seen as one unit. "It cannot be (seen) in different parts. It is one single union territory. The whole population will have to be given representation in 90 constituencies. The (Kashmir) valley has been given less or Jammu (division) has been given less -- it is one whole unit comprising 20 districts and 207 tehsils. We will have to see it as one whole unit."

Earlier, the erstwhile assembly had 87 seats -- 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu 37 and four in Ladakh. Ladakh, in the reorganisation of the erstwhile state, was declared as a union territory without an assembly. The population of Jammu Division is 53.72 lakh and Kashmir Division 68.83 lakh, according to the Census of 2011. Out of the 90 assembly constituencies, nine have been reserved for Scheduled Tribe -- six in Jammu and three in Kashmir Valley. Chandra said there were "lots of problems" in the earlier delimitation which have been corrected now. "There were only 12 districts when the earlier delimitation was done. Now there are 20 districts. Many constituencies were spread in more than one district. Many villages were spread into two or three constituencies. So these things will have to be rectified," he said. The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre, Jammu, and Kashmir administration, and Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea of two Kashmir residents challenging the government's decision to constitute the delimitation commission for redrawing the assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh issued notice to the Centre and Election Commission of India and sought their responses within six weeks and said that the rejoinder affidavit shall be filed in two weeks thereafter. At the outset, counsel appearing for two Srinagar residents Haji Abdul Gani Khan and Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, said that contrary to the scheme of the constitution, this delimitation exercise was carried out and alteration of boundaries and inclusion of extended areas could not be done. The bench said that the delimitation commission was formed sometime back and asked the petitioners, where were they during that time and why did not they challenge the constitution of the commission. The counsel said that as per the delimitation order, it is the election commission that is empowered to do any changes.