Manipur: BJP to Establish Committee for Electoral Boundary Delimitation
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Synopsis
BJP in Manipur plans to set up a 13-member committee to address delimitation of electoral boundaries based on a valid census, amid opposition from Congress regarding the inaccuracies in the 2001 census data.
Key Takeaways
- BJP to form a 13-member delimitation committee.
- Delimitation should rely on an accurate census.
- Congress demands correction of 2001 census inaccuracies.
- Postponement of delimitation suggested until 2026.
- 16 political parties urge Central government for delay.
Imphal, April 4 (NationPress) The BJP in Manipur is set to form a 13-member committee to address the pressing issues surrounding the delimitation of electoral boundaries in the state, as announced by senior party leader Kh Ibomcha on Thursday.
Ibomcha, who serves as an MLA for the Lamlai Assembly constituency, emphasized that the BJP has no objections to the delimitation of constituencies in the state, provided it is founded on an accurate census.
During a recent meeting, the BJP MLAs in Manipur deliberated on the upcoming delimitation exercise and resolved to establish a 13-member delimitation committee to tackle this significant issue.
As reported to the media, Ibomcha stated that the committee will comprise 12 MLAs and one representative from the state BJP Pradesh committee.
There are proposals for the delimitation process to be based on the 2001 census report; however, this report contains numerous inaccuracies, making it inappropriate for this purpose, as pointed out by Ibomcha.
The BJP is advocating for the implementation of the NRC prior to proceeding with the delimitation exercise in the state.
The opposition Congress party in Manipur voiced its opposition on Wednesday regarding any potential delimitation exercises based on the 2001 census report, insisting on a comprehensive correction of the census data before any electoral boundary re-demarcation.
Congress Vice-President in Manipur, Hareshwar Goswami, noted that the discrepancies in the 2001 census were highlighted by an unusual growth rate of residents in nine subdivisions across three districts within the state.
He affirmed that while the Congress party supports the idea of delimitation, it must be executed based on accurate census data devoid of errors. He stressed that the 2001 census was fraught with irregularities.
“The majority of the population, along with political factions, civil societies, and social organizations in Manipur, are not against the delimitation process. They are advocating for it to be conducted based on a valid Census,” Goswami remarked.
He reiterated that the Congress’s position on the re-demarcation of electoral boundaries is that it should rest on an accurate Census and suggested postponing the delimitation until 2026.
On March 25, leaders from 16 political parties in Manipur convened a crucial meeting, urging the Central government to delay the delimitation of constituencies until 2026, coinciding with the national delimitation that would utilize new census data.
CPI-M Manipur state Secretary Kshetrimayum Santa, one of the three convenors from the March 25 meeting, stated that they reached a consensus that delimitation in Manipur should not proceed until the inaccuracies in the 2001 census are rectified.
“We have also decided to advocate for the Central government to postpone the delimitation until 2026, coinciding with the national delimitation that will utilize new census data,” Santa added.
This gathering of 16 political parties followed a recent Supreme Court directive mandating the completion of pending delimitation exercises in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam within the next three months.
