Delimitation requires constitutional amendment, not possible before 2021 Assembly polls: HBS

Sept. 10: The Delimitation Commission had earlier directed the Election Department to prepare and submit statistical data and maps for delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies of Assam within 9 August. Though  readjusting boundaries of constituencies is an administrative exercise to reflect and represent population changes, but there is a freeze on increasing the number of parliament and assembly seats till 2026.

However, since then, there arose various complexities on the issues of delimitation in Assam. It is at this juncture Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that there arises no possibility of delimitation of constituencies in the state before 2021 assembly elections, as it requires constitutional amendment. He was, however, quick to add that the exercise of delimitation will be required at the time of implementation of Clause 6 of Assam Accord and as such, the delimitation ought to be kept ready before the implementation of this clause.