Delimitation Commission on J&K to submit its report shortly: Sources

New Delhi, May 3

The Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir is likely to submit its report shortly, sources said.

The Commission's tenure expires on May 6 and it is likely to submit its report to the Election Commission of India soon.

The Commission has been constituted to redraw the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies of J&K, and once it submits the report, the Election Commission will take a call on holding Assembly elections in the Union Territory of J&K.

The sources also said that the Centre will review all the aspects, including the security facets.

Officials in the government set up also said that the draft electoral roll will be published and a 'door-to-door' verification of the roll will be done and the Centre will also discuss this in an all-party meeting to have their opinion.

The sources said that elections can be held earliest in October and the state electoral office would like to get them conducted before the onset of winter in J&K.

Earlier, the Commission had proposed six new Assembly constituencies in the Jammu region which would be carved out from Udhampur, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Samba and Kishtwar districts, the sources said.

They also said that this will increase the number of Assembly seats from 37 to 43 in the Jammu region, while one new seat has been proposed for the Kashmir Valley to be carved out from the Kupwara district, thus taking the number of seats to 47 in the Kashmir region.

The Delimitation Commission is headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, and comprises Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and the J&K electoral officer as ex-officio member.

The Commission was established on March 6, 2020, with a one-year term to redraw the Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies of J&K. The Commission was given one year extension in 2021 and again for two months by on March 6, 2022.