J&K Delimitation Draft Triggers Huge Row As Jammu Gets 6 Seats, Kashmir 1

National Conference President and MP Farooq Abdullah who attended the meeting confirmed the draft proposal and said that the party will respond to it via a formal communique on December 31.

A major political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over a draft proposal that has suggested six new legislative seats for Jammu and only one for Kashmir in a move that local parties have described as gerrymandering and an attempt to skew the balance of power in the erstwhile state. The draft recommendation of the J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census. The draft recommendation of the J&K delimitation commission is unacceptable. The distribution of newly created assembly constituencies with 6 going to Jammu & only 1 to Kashmir is not justified by the data of the 2011 census.

The draft by the union government's Delimitation Commission was distributed among five MPs from Jammu and Kashmir who are associate members of the body during its meeting in New Delhi on Monday and was rejected by all political parties in Kashmir who have termed it biased and unacceptable.

National Conference President and MP Farooq Abdullah who attended the meeting confirmed the draft proposal and said that the party will respond to it via a formal communique on December 31.

His son Omar Abdullah tweeted: