EC releases Assam delimitation proposals
- The Election Commission has released the draft delimitation papers for Assam.
What is Delimitation?
- According to the Election Commission, ‘delimitation’ is “the act or process of fixing limits/boundaries of territorial constituencies in a province having a legislative body (based on the data of the last Census)”.
Why is it needed?
- It ensures a fair division of geographical areas so that all political parties or candidates contesting elections have a level playing field in terms of the number of voters.
Constitutional Provisions
- Article 82 and Article 170 of the Constitution empowers the Parliament to readjust the allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of States respectively, after every census.
- Accordingly, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Commission Act
- Also, an independent high-powered panel known as the Delimitation Commission is constituted to carry out the exercise of delimitation.
- The Parliament has enacted the Delimitation Commission Acts in 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002 for this purpose.
- The present delimitation of constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census data under the provisions of Delimitation Commission Act, 2002.
- The next Delimitation Commission will be set up after 2026.
Delimitation Commission
- It is a high-powered committee entrusted with the task of drawing and redrawing boundaries of different constituencies for state assembly and Lok Sabha election.
- It is appointed by the President and works in collaboration with the Election Commission.
- The Commission consists of
- A retired or working Supreme Court Judge (chairperson)
- Election Commissioner
- Concerned State Election Commissioners
- The Commission’s orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.
Prelims Takeaway:
- Election Commission
- Delimitation