SILCHAR: A 12-hour bandh has been called in the three districts of Barak valley of Assam – Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj – in opposition to the draft delimitation proposal published by the election commission.
The bandh has been called by the Silchar-based political party in Assam – Barak Democratic Front (BDF).
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According to the draft delimitation proposal published by the election commission, the number of seats in the Assam assembly from the Barak Valley will get reduced to 13 from 15.
Many in the Barak valley, including organisations, political parties and leaders, even leaders of the ruling BJP from the region express disappointment over the draft delimitation proposal.
Speaking about the bandh, Barak Democratic Front (BDF) chief convenor Pradip Dutta Roy said that the shutdown has been called by the party for the “larger interest of the people of the valley.
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Assam MLA Karimuddin Barbhuyan of the AIUDF said: “The people of Barak Valley are disappointed with the unscientific and unethical decision of ECI of deducting 2 assembly seats from Barak Valley and reducing the number of seats from 15 to 13.”
“The ECI should rethink its decision and keep the number of seats in Barak Valley as it is,” he added.
Earlier, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday (June 25), claimed that there are no problems with the draft delimitation proposal, which was published by the election commission (EC) last week.
Reacting to the opposition to the draft delimitation proposal, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that people who have no understanding about the exercise are raising objection.
“Only those who do not understand the process or are staring at defeats in elections are protesting the draft delimitation proposal,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The draft delimitation proposal was published by the election commission (EC) on June 20.
It proposed that the number of assembly and Lok Sabha seats in Assam will remain unchanged at 126 and 14 respectively.
However, the election commission proposed to alter geographical boundaries of most of the constituencies, both assembly and the Lok Sabha.
On the other hand, some of the seats will be done away with, while some new are to be created.