More parties in J-K object to draft report by Delimitation Commission

Srinagar: The Peoples Conference (PC) led by Sajad Lone, the CPI(M) and J-K Awami National Conference (ANC) on Sunday criticised the Delimitation Commission's draft report that proposed redrawing of boundaries of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.

The exercise of delimitation was an attempt to disempower and disenfranchise the people of Kashmir... it seems to be an exercise in disruption," a PC spokesman alleged.

"Irrationalism is an ugly and a sad constant in the delimitation exercise," he said and questioned the proposed formation of a parliamentary constituency by merging the two regions of South Kashmir and Rajouri.

The inhabitants of these two regions have totally different aspirations, the problems and challenges they face are completely different, the topography is different and yet for reasons best known to the Commission they actually merged two distinct regions to carve out a single parliamentary constituency, he said.

The National Conference, Congress and the National Panthers Party (NPP) had earlier slammed the draft report.

Reacting to the recommendations, CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami said they are incongruous with the Commission's earlier argument of taking into account the topography and difficult terrain while re-mapping the poll constituencies.

The Commission, which was supposed to serve as an independent constitutional authority, is seen as furthering the interests of one particular political party only to fetch them electoral gains, he alleged.

The CPI (M) has already made it clear that the draft proposal of the Commission is unpalatable to the party and it has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Reorganisation Act itself under which the delimitation process has been initiated, he said . CPI(M) rejects the proposal in its present form and emphatically believes that the draft recommendations are inimical to the larger interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which could jeopardise regional unity,� Tarigami said.

J-K Awami National Conference (ANC) president Khalida Shah claimed that there are no takers for the report anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Delimitation exercise cannot be undertaken in the absence of a legislature or an elected government, she contended.

This exercise is illogical, unjustified and rejected by people and across the party lines. The people of J-K irrespective of region or religion will not allow the Delimitation exercise to succeed, she said