Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that there was no problem with the state’s constituency delimitation exercise, the draft proposal for which was published last week.
He insisted that those opposed to the draught idea were merely those who didn’t understand the process or were facing electoral defeat.
“We are a secular nation in which constituencies are determined by considering everyone’s well-being. Reservations are made based on the population of a specific community”, he explained to the media.
He stated that there has been no problem with the redrawing of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.
“Only certain people who are facing electoral defeat are making a stink about it”, Mr. Sarma claimed.
In response to accusations that Rabhas, Morans, Mottocks, and Ahoms are upset with the draft, the Chief Minister stated, “They all are rejoicing, in fact. I went to Lakhimpur and Dhemaji (both of which have a sizable tribal population) and heard nothing”.
“I am the chief minister, and I would have known if there was something. He further stated that delimitation is done based on population, and those who oppose the draught have no knowledge of the law or the Constitution”, he added.
The Election Commission proposed keeping the number of assembly seats in Assam at 126 and the number of Lok Sabha constituencies at 14 in the draft delimitation document released on June 20.
The panel also intends to change the geographic boundaries of the majority of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, while removing some seats and adding a few new ones.
This sparked protests in the state from both opposition parties and allies of the current BJP-led coalition government.
Opposition parties have resolved to convey citizens’ grievances to the EC, calling the draft delimitation proposal an attempt by the BJP to polarise voters along religious lines while neglecting people’s sentiments.
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