Assam: Election Commission of India to hold discussions with stakeholders ahead of constituency delimitation

In preparation for the upcoming delimitation exercise of constituencies in Assam, the Election Commission of India's full bench will hold discussions with various stakeholders, including political parties and civil society. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, along with two Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, will be visiting Assam from March 26 to 28 for talks with various sections.

According to an official release, the Commission wants to know the ground reality and expectations of stakeholders and the general public regarding the ongoing delimitation exercise in the state. The Election Commission of India has been entrusted with the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam.

During their visit, the Commission will interact with political parties, public representatives, civil societies, social organizations, and state administration officials, including District Election Officers and Deputy Commissioners, to gather first-hand information. The Commission expects all stakeholders to cooperate and provide valuable suggestions for the ongoing process of delimitation.

The delimitation exercise's preliminary work has begun, and the final task will begin after the CEC's visit at the end of March, according to a senior official from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. On December 31, 2022, the Assam Cabinet decided to merge four districts with their parents from where they were carved out and made separate districts. Biswanath with Sonitpur, Hojai with Nagaon, Tamulpur with Baksa, and Bajali with Barpeta were merged.

The decision to merge districts came a day before the Election Commission imposed a ban on creating new administrative units in Assam from January 1, 2023, as the poll panel would undertake the delimitation exercise in the state. The administrative jurisdiction of some villages and a few towns were also changed at the state cabinet meeting held in New Delhi. In March this year, the Gauhati High Court issued two notices to the Assam government, asking it to explain why it dissolved Hojai and Biswanath districts within four weeks.