Congress and BJP are throwing salvos over the draft proposal for delimitation of Assam's assembly and parliamentary constituencies.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has alleged that his Lok Sabha seat has been "dismembered" for political motives a year before Lok Sabha polls, said a report in NDTV.
It also said Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma having welcomed the Election Commission's draft proposal.
"Even my seat has gone, but I am not raising an issue. Some people are trying to turn this into a communal issue after their seat was changed or dissolved in this delimitation (draft)," he was quoted as having said.
Advertisement
Sarma it said has accused some people of trying to cook up a communal issue.
“In the draft proposal, the poll body has marginally increased the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The total numbers of assembly and parliamentary seats, however, remain the same. The boundaries of some seats have been redrawn and names of some seats changed,” it mentioned.
“The Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat, a Congress stronghold represented by Gogoi since 2014, will now be called Kaziranga, after the wildlife sanctuary. As per the draft plan, this Lok Sabha seat will now comprise 10 assembly segments - Kaliabor, Barhampur, Binnakandi, Hojai, Lumding, Golaghat, Dergaon, Bokakhat, Khumtai and Sarupathar,” it said.
Advertisement
Gogoi, report mentioned, has now hit out at the draft plan, alleging a political motive.
"Not surprised to find that the draft delimitation list released by the Election Commission has dismembered my Lok Sabha seat Kaliabor. The list has several errors and faults. With less than a year left for the polls the motive is plain. But nothing can stop the winds of change," he said.
Congress has also hit out at the Election Commission over the timing of the draft proposal, it said.
Congress Assam chief Bhupen Kumar Borah said the Assam delimitation exercise has been challenged in Supreme Court.
"Therefore, while the matter is sub judice, it is astonishing--and a direct affront to the Hon'ble SC--that the ECI have come out with a draft Delimitation document without waiting for the SC judgement,” he was quoted as having said.
“Doesn't this show that the ECI is acting like an extended arm of BJP?" he added, the report mentioned.
Sarma maintained that the delimitation plan is going to protect Assam, it mentioned.
"I want to ask them, are the Bodos and Karbi people not indigenous? This is for the first time that some tribal communities of North Bank will get an opportunity to represent themselves," Sarma was quoted as having said.
