Delimitation Commission has become extension of BJP: PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday slammed the final delimitation order and said that the commission has become an "extension of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)".

She further added that the commission was set up to disempower the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"What delimitation? One that has become an extension of the BJP? That overlooked the basis of population and acted as per their wish. We outrightly reject it. We don't trust it. Its recommendations are a link to the abrogation of Article 370 - how to disempower the people of J&K," Mufti told the media persons.

Further, she said that what is happening across the country today is a matter of concern. The atmosphere that is being created, especially against the minorities, is not being created by goons but BJP governments are supporting the 'Gunda elements', she added.

"In Jahangirpuri (Delhi), bulldozers worked for 2-2.5 hrs despite Supreme Court's directions. BJP weakened institutions to such an extent that a municipality refuses to accept Supreme Court's directions. Saw atrocities in J&K in the last three years. Things start here and then propagated elsewhere in-country," she added.

Earlier today, he Delimitation Commission finalised the final delimitation order for Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday which has paved the way for assembly polls in the Union Territory. The delimitation order will come into effect from the date notified by the central government.

As per the final Delimitation Order, out of the 90 assembly constituencies, 43 will be part of the Jammu region and 47 of the Kashmir region.

Nine seats have been reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (STs) for the first time - six in the Jammu region and three in the Kashmir Valley.

Seven seats have been reserved for Scheduled Castes. The constitution of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state did not provide for the reservation of seats for the Scheduled Tribes in the legislative assembly.

All five parliamentary constituencies will have an equal number of assembly seats for the first time. Jammu and Kashmir have been treated as a single entity for the purpose of delimitation.

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said one of the parliamentary constituencies has been carved out combining the Anantnag region in the Valley and the Rajouri and Poonch of the Jammu region.

By this reorganisation, each parliamentary constituency will have an equal number of 18 assembly constituencies each.

Chandra said the Commission ensured that every assembly constituency shall be contained entirely in one district and the lowest administrative units - patwar circles (and wards in Jammu Municipal Corporation) were not broken and were kept in a single constituency.

( With inputs from ANI )

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