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| Congress to face litmus test on Delimitation Bill | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 22: After having bungled on the Permanent Resident(Disqualification) Bill,that has been introduced in the Legislative Council,the state unit of the Congress has to face another litmus test when a bill,seeking amendment to the state constitution so that the ban on establishement of a delimitation commission was lifted,came up for introduction and discussion in the Legislative Assembly.
The Panthers Party working chairman,Harsh Dev Singh,has moved the Bill and he hoped that it will come up fo introduction after the discussion on the grants of various Government departments ended.No doubt the Congress feels let down by the Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,who is said to have told the Revenue Minister,Raman Bhalla,to support the introduction of the controversial Permanent Resident (Disqualification) bill in the Legislative council Bhalla should have told the Chief Minister that the Law Minister,Ali Mohd. Sagar, be asked to support the introduction of the Bill. This very blunder caused much damage to the Congress.
As such its role in opposing or supporting the bill seeking establishment of fresh delimitation commission will be watched with interest.During the last two Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections the Congress had supported fresh delimitation of the Assembly constituencies in its election manifestos. However,after the end of these elections the Congress has remained a silent spectator on the issue.The Congress has bigger bases in the Jammu region than in the Kashmir valley and majority of congress leaders know it well that majority of people in the Jammu region are in favour of increase in the Assembly seats.Hence it cannot afford to ignore the sentiments of the majority of people in the region.
Harsh Dev Singh said that he has sought the amendment to the state constitution because ban on setting up delimitation commission till 2026 was a well conceived policy of depriving people of the Jammu region of political and economic powers.In reply to a question he said that he has listed increase in area,in population,difficult terrain and means of communication as the main factors that warrant fresh delimitation of the Assembly segments.
In reply to another question Harsh Dev said that instead of demanding more Assembly segments for the Jammu region than the Kashmir valley he has simply demanded carving out 50 constituencies for each region.At present the Jammu region has 37 constituencies against 46 in the Kashmir valley.He said so long this parity was not restored people in the Jammu region will continue to receive a raw deal in the devolution of political and financial powers.
Political analysts say that the Congress has not to look towards the policy the National Conference will adopt vis-a-vis the constitutional amendment Bill because it is no a longer a secret that valley centric parties are opposed to fresh delimitation as they do not want a situation to emerge in which power could get transferred from Kashmir to Jammu.Congress has to take an independent stand failing which it will ring its death bell.One report said that attempts were being made to defer tabling of the Bill for introduction which could facilitate the ruling coalition to get a breating time.Once there was more delay in bringing the Bill for introduction it may not at all figure in the current budget session of the Assembly.Even that strategy may cost the Congress dearly. |
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