The Election Commission on Tuesday said it has initiated delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam. Census data of 2001 will be used for the process, the Election Commission said.

Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam to take up the matter with the state government to issue a complete ban on the creation of new administrative units, w.e.f. January 1, 2023, till the completion of the delimitation exercise in the state.

As mandated under Article 170 of the Constitution, census figures (2001) will be used for the purpose of readjustment of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies in the state.

Reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be provided as per Articles 330 and 332 of the Constitution of India.

A delimitation exercise refers to demarcating boundaries of Assembly and parliamentary constituencies as well as civic wards. At present, Assam has 14 Lok Sabha, 126 Assembly and seven Rajya Sabha seats.

The Commission will design and finalise its own guidelines and methodology for the purpose of delimiting the constituencies. During the delimitation exercise, the Commission will keep in mind the physical features, existing boundaries of administrative units, facility of communication, public convenience and as far as practicable, the constituencies will be kept as geographically compact areas, it said.

“Once a draft proposal of delimitation of constituencies in Assam is finalised by the Commission, it shall be published in the Central and State gazettes inviting suggestions/objections from the general public. In this regard, a notice will also be published in two vernacular newspapers of the state specifying the date and venue for public sittings to be held in the state,” the ECI said.

Carrying out the delimitation was among the promises made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections in the state.

The Election Commission said that the delimitation exercise in the state has been initiated following a request from the Union Law Ministry.

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