Jammu and Kashmir needs delimitation. It definitely does. Kashmir is a huge geography and some regions in Jammu region need more representation in the Assembly as do some regions in Kashmir valley. Look at the constituency of Sangrama. With thousands and thousands of people having migrated from one place to another it is amazing that such a huge area with such a consistently dense population is just one constituency. Two, if not three, constituencies can easily be carved out of it on a pure logical and demographic basis. Take the case of Amira Kadal Constituency. The areas like Baghat, Jawahar Nagar, Natipora, Chanapora where tenants outnumber the locals easily are not on the voting list. The floating population in this constituency can easily beat any constituency. On pure demographic and geographical reasons two constituencies can be carved out of it easily. More specifically, contrary to perception, Jammu has not been discriminated against in representation. In the last legislative assembly, for instance, the Kashmir Valley, which had 55% of the population, had 53% of the seats. Jammu, with a share of 43% in the population, got 42.5% of the seats in the legislative assembly. Even on the “one person one vote” principle, it is as good as it can get, with 149,749 voters per constituency in Kashmir and 145,366 per constituency in Jammu.
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To retain the Sonwar constituency as one constituency would also be against logic. From proper city areas Athwajan, Buchwara ,Sonwar to highland villages some 25 kilometers away are one constituency. The two area has huge cultural differences but have still been retained as one constituency. The same applies for Batamaloo constituency where the sheet geography follow that the area be divided into two constituencies. Besides, easily there are three to four other constituencies in Kashmir valley where delimitation should be done and new constituencies carved out, out of the older ones.
We hope the establishment takes these things into consideration before venturing out to formulate the process of delimitation.
