Delimitation exercise unlikely to lead to violence, says Assam government

The Assam government has informed the Centre that there will be no law and order problem due to the proposed delimitation of constituencies. Earlier, the state had expressed fears that the exercise will disturb the peace.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said: "The Centre has given a proposal for delimitation of constituencies. Earlier, the state government had stated delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies may result in law and order problems. Now, we have written a letter stating that the situation has improved and there will be no problem if exercise is carried out." In March 6, 2020, last the Central Government had constituted the Commission for the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Jammu & Kashmir. The delimitation exercise has been kept on hold in Assam since 2008.

The BJP manifesto for the Assam polls in 2021 had promised a delimitation exercise and "all steps and necessary safeguards" to protect the "political interests of the people". The Supreme Court last month stated that the matter pertaining to conducting delimitation exercise in the four northeastern states is one of sensitive nature.


While elections in Assam took place in 2021, Manipur had assembly polls in 2022, Nagaland will go to the polls early next year while Arunachal Pradesh will have polls in 2024.

In 2007, an all-party delegation from Assam had told the then Union home minister Shivraj Patil that there was a law and order situation and delimitation exercise cannot be completed.