Twenty J-K deputy commissioners attend EC's delimitation panel meeting

New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday held virtual discussions with its representatives in Jammu and Kashmir and deputy commissioners regarding the delimitation of the 90 Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory.

As per sources, the meeting was attended by 20 deputy commissioners from Jammu and Kashmir.

"Administrative difficulties faced by the deputy commissioners with respect to the assembly constituencies were discussed," the sources said.

Earlier in March this year, the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir, which was set up in March 2020 to redraw the parliamentary and assemblies constituencies, got a one-year extension from the Central government.

The delimitation panel, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, was set up only for one year. Later, the panel got A gazette notification was issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice on March 3, 2021, in this regard.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 was notified by the government on August 9, 2019, paved the way for the creation of two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature and Ladakh, without it.

The Act provides that the number of seats in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114, and delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the Election Commission.

The meeting assumes significance as it was held a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's all-party meeting with leaders from Jammu and Kashmir.

The June 24 meeting is the first such meet after the Centre, in August 2019, abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI)