Election Commission to begin revising electoral rolls in J & K

Context

Election Commission (EC) has directed the election officer to complete summary revision of electoral rolls by October end for Jammu and Kashmir.

This delimitation exercise is going to be conducted after a gap of three years.

About

What is delimitation?

Delimitation is the act of fixing or redrawing the limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies (Assembly or Lok Sabha seat) in a country or a province having a legislative body, as per the Election Commission.
The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
The delimitation exercise is carried out by an independent high-powered panel known as the Delimitation Commission whose orders have the force of law and cannot be questioned by any court.
Composition:
- Retired Supreme Court judge
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Respective State Election Commissioners.

What were the changes made by delimitation?

Assembly seats: The Commission has increased seven Assembly seats — six in Jammu (now 43 seats) and one in Kashmir (now 47). It has also made massive changes in the structure of the existing Assembly seats.
Lok sabha seats: The Commission has redrawn the boundaries of Anantnag and Jammu seats.
- Jammu’s Pir Panjal region, comprising Poonch and Rajouri districts and formerly part of Jammu parliamentary seat, has now been added to Anantnag seat in Kashmir.
- Also, a Shia-dominated region of Srinagar parliamentary constituency has been transferred to Baramulla constituency, also in the Valley.
Kashmiri pandits: The Commission has recommended “provision of at least two members from the community of Kashmiri Migrants (Kashmiri Hindus) in the Legislative Assembly.
- It has also recommended that Centre should consider giving representation in the J&K Legislative Assembly to the displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who migrated to Jammu after Partition”.

Significance of revision of electoral rolls

The revision of electoral rolls is significant as the exercise is being carried out for the first time since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Before the abrogation, only the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, popularly known as state subjects, were eligible to vote.
The summary revision would also allow, for the first time, the displaced people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to apply for voting rights in the Assembly elections.
In the past, they were allowed to vote in the parliamentary elections but not in the Assembly elections.

Constitutional backing for Delimitation Commission

Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.
Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission.
- The delimitation commission is an independent body constituted under Article 82 after the Parliament enacted a Delimitation Act after every census.
However, the first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election Commission) in 1950-51.
- The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952.
Delimitation Commissions had been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
- There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses.