Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she has no faith in the Delimitation Commission, alleging that it has been formed to “help the BJP”.
"It's the BJP's commission,’’ Mufti told reporters at a party function held in Rajouri in Jammu. “It has been formed to pit the majority community against the minority and further disempower the people."
She said the exercise would increase the number of seats in a way that would benefit the BJP. Asked about the decision of the National Conference to participate in the December 20 meeting in Delhi with the Commission, Mufti said it is their own decision. “What can I say about it?" she asked.
The Commission is headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai while Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and the state election commissioner are members. Five MPs from J&K—three from the NC and two from the BJP—are associate members of the Commission.
The J&K Assembly had frozen the delimitation from 2001 to 2026. However, after the reading down of Article 370, the BJP ordered the formation of the Delimitation Commission. Delimitation in J&K was done in 1963, 1973 and 1995 when the state was under President’s Rule.
The NC had said it would not cooperate with the Commission because the decision on the legality of the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, under which it has been step up, is pending before the Supreme Court. However, the party has now decided to attend the December 20 meeting in Delhi.
The J&K Assembly, before the removal of Article 370, had 87 seats—46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and four in Ladakh. Two women members were nominated. The Assembly also had a legislative council whose members were nominated by the political parties, which ceased to exist after August 7, 2019.
After delimitation, the number of Assembly seats will increase to 90. Two women members will be nominated like before.
Jammu region is likely to get five seats while Kashmir two. That will narrow down the difference between the two regions from nine to five seats.