J&K:Delimitation panel gets two more months to redraw electoral map

The Centre on Tuesday granted a two month extension to the delimitation commission entrusted to redraw the electoral constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. The delimitation commission's term was slated to end on March 6 this year. The delimitation commission was set up in March 2020 by the Centre to redraw the constituencies of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The panel is headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, with chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra and J&K poll panel chief KK Sharma being the other members.The Centre issued a note to extend the delimitation commissions tenure by two more months.

The panel had submitted a draft report in which it proposed the creation of seven new Assembly segments and the redrawing of the boundaries of some other constituencies. Six of the new constituencies are proposed to be in the Jammu, while one is in Kashmir. For the first time, the commission had also proposed to reserve nine seats for Scheduled Tribes. Seven seats have been proposed to be reserved for Scheduled Castes.