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| NC MPs divided over participation, Farooq may attend | | Delimitation Commission's 1st meeting | | early times report
jammu, Feb 9: National Conference is engulfed in a crisis like situation with its MPs adamant over not becoming part of any delimitation meeting even when party president Dr Farooq Abdullah is still indecisive over the issue.
As per the reports the NC Members of Parliament (MPs) have clarified that they will not attend the first meeting of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir on February 18. The commission has convened first meeting with associate members at its office in New Delhi on February 18 to discuss delimitation of assembly constituencies in the Union Territory.
NC MPs Hassnain Masoodi and Muhammad Akbar Lone as per reports have refused to attend the meeting.
"Our stand is that this full exercise is unconstitutional because the commission has been constituted in exercise of powers under Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019. We are of the view that the act itself is unconstitutional and its constitutionality is being examined by the five judge bench of the Supreme Court. The Central government was expected to desist from implementing the act till a final verdict would come from the top court of India," he said. "It instead is going on to implement the act, which is constitutionally suspect law. We have already thrown a challenge to that. As on date, there is no point in getting associated because the exercise itself is not in tune with the constitution as it offends the constitution," Masoodi said. However Akbar Lone while refusing to attend the meeting gave the reason that he is currently busy with the ongoing elections for the chairperson of District Development Council (DDC).
What is emerging as an interesting political situation is that there are mounting differences subtly emerging within the National Conference over attending the first meeting of the Delimitation Commission for J&K.
A senior NC functionary told Early Times that it is likely that Farooq Abdullah will attend the meeting as he also attended the Parliament on February 9 and has dropped enough hints that he would be attending the meeting even though the other two MPs of his party aren't going to be a part of it. "It is going to set a pandemonium in motion within the NC. There are people within the party who are opposing the confusing stand of the party leaders over the issue. It would prove worrisome and could prove detrimental for party's overall growth in near future," the party functionary said.
It's in place to mention here that the government had on March 6 constituted the Delimitation Commission, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and state election commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir and the four states are its ex-officio members.
The commission will delimit the constituencies of J&K in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, a Law Ministry notification had earlier said. |
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