Should the delimitation process in Manipur be postponed until 2026?

Imphal, May 12 (NationPress) Leaders from 11 political parties, both national and local, convened on Monday to appeal to Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to engage with the Centre regarding the postponement of the delimitation process in the state until 2026. A representative from Raj Bhavan disclosed that during the meeting, party leaders presented a memorandum expressing their apprehensions concerning the impending delimitation exercise.

A spokesperson for the coalition of 11 political parties stated that any re-demarcation of electoral boundaries should rely on an accurate Census and should be postponed until 2026, coinciding with the nationwide delimitation process based on new census data.

This gathering of parties comes after a recent ruling from the Supreme Court, which mandated that the outstanding delimitation tasks in the northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam, must be finalized within three months.

The memorandum articulated by the coalition stated: “Given the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur (since May 2023), conducting delimitation is unfeasible. Should any delimitation activity occur in Manipur, it could lead to significant disruption of public order. The 2001 census data indicated unusual population growth in certain hill districts, heightening the risk of conflict between hill and valley populations.”

The parties present during the meeting included the National People’s Party (NPP), Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Republican Party of India (Athawale) (RPI-A), Shiv Sena (UBT), Manipur People's Party (MPP), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The majority of political factions in Manipur have voiced their opposition to any potential delimitation process based on the 2001 census, advocating for a comprehensive correction of census data prior to any electoral boundary re-demarcation.

Senior BJP figure Kh Ibomcha announced that the party will soon form a 13-member committee to address the delimitation of electoral boundaries in the state. Ibomcha, who serves as an MLA for the Lamlai Assembly constituency, asserted that the BJP has no reservations about delimiting constituencies as long as it relies on a credible census.

The opposition Congress has similarly expressed its disapproval of any delimitation initiatives based on the 2001 census, insisting on a detailed rectification of census data prior to any electoral boundary realignment.

Congress’s Vice-President in Manipur, Hareshwar Goswami, indicated that inaccuracies in the 2001 census were identified due to disproportionate population growth in nine subdivisions across three districts in the state. He emphasized that while the party supports delimitation, it must be grounded in precise census data devoid of errors. “It’s widely acknowledged that the 2001 census was fraught with irregularities,” he claimed.

“The majority of residents, political organizations, civil societies, and social groups in Manipur are not against the delimitation process. However, they demand that it be executed based on a valid census,” Goswami highlighted. He reiterated that the Congress party’s position on electoral boundary re-demarcation is that it must stem from an accurate census, thus advocating for a postponement until 2026.