The delimitation of J&K is a politically volatile issue since it is going to hit the long-held status quo that kept the domination of Kashmir in the erstwhile J&K Assembly. The Kashmir based politicians never reconcile to the reality that they had been holding their whims unreasonably too long and their monopoly over the political power may get loosen in coming times. The hue and cry over the proposals of the Delimitation Commission will surely go a long way in weakening Kashmir’s grip over the J&K politics. These are generating heat as the genuine delimitation is directly related to the representation of Kashmir domination over the other two regions Jammu and Ladakh in the J&K legislative assembly.
Political parties, which have been seeking greater representation for Jammu in the Assembly, including the BJP, have argued that the the earlier delimitations of the assembly segments in erstwhile J&K state were unrealistic and one sided tilted towards Kashmir despite Jammu region having larger area and at one time even its population was more than that of Kashmir. It further sulked over the freeze enforced in 2002 has led to poorer representation for Jammu.
While the J&K Assembly, at that time, had 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh — 24 were reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the seats for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be increased by seven seats, in effect they will go up from 83 to 90 post-delimitation.
The Kashmir politicians already knew the truth and the concern for several mainstream political parties in the Valley has been that representation may be increased for Jammu after the delimitation exercise, and not Kashmir, thereby weakening their electoral fortunes.
Whatever may be the final recommendations of the Delimitation Commission, the exercise has fully exposed the Kashmiri politicians that they live for Kashmir and they wear the secular facade only to hoodwink the gullible people of other two regions. They openly oppose any increase in the existing assembly seats of Jammu. PAGD in its press conference at Jammu said that it would not be in the interest of all the three regions. Strange enough! Will Tarigami explain how it would not be in the interest of Jammu? The sooner the Kashmiri leadership comes out of their illusion the better it will be for them.
