The Election Commission said it has initiated the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam and will use the 2001 Census figures for the readjustment of seats.

What is delimitation?

• Delimitation means the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body. 

• The job of delimitation is assigned to a high power body. Such a body is known as Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission.

Delimitation Commissions have been constituted in the past:

i) In 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952

ii) In 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962

iii) In 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972

iv) In 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.

• In May 2022, the Delimitation Commission on Jammu & Kashmir headed by former Supreme Court judge (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai notified its final report.

• The Delimitation Commission in India is a high power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court. 

• These orders come into force on a date to be specified by the President of India on this behalf. The copies of its orders are laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly concerned, but no modifications are permissible therein by them.

Delimitation in Assam

• The term of the current Assam Legislative Assembly will end on May 20, 2026. The state has 14 Lok Sabha, 126 Assembly and seven Rajya Sabha seats.

• Under the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 1972, the last delimitation of constituencies in Assam was effected on the basis of 1971 Census figures by the then Delimitation Commission in 1976.

• The move to redraw the Assembly and Parliamentary seats of Assam as per Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 has been initiated following a request from the Union law ministry.

• The Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel has directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam to take up the matter with the state government to issue a complete ban on the creation of new administrative units with effect from January 1, 2023 till the completion of delimitation exercise in the state.

• As mandated under Article 170 of the Constitution, census figures (2001) shall be used for the purpose of readjustment of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in the state. 

• Reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be provided as per Articles 330 and 332 of the Constitution of India.

• The Commission will design and finalise its own guidelines and methodology for the purpose of delimiting the constituencies.

• During the delimitation exercise, the Commission will keep in mind the physical features, existing boundaries of administrative units, facility of communication and public convenience, and as far as practicable, the constituencies will be kept as geographically compact areas.

• Once a draft proposal for the delimitation of constituencies is finalised by the Commission, it will be published in the central and state gazettes for inviting suggestions and objections from the general public.

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