Guwahati: Several protestors were detained by the Assam Police in Karimganj district during the protest against the Election Commission of India’s proposed delimitation draft and supporting the Barak Vally bandh call on Tuesday.

The draft published by the Election Commission on June 20, sparked widespread discontent leading to the call of a 12-hour bandh by various organisations as well as political parties in Barak Valley.

Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, representing Karimganj district, labelled the delimitation process as “illegal,” highlighting the lack of adherence to guidelines.

He pointed out that while the population of Barak Valley has increased from 20 lakh to 45 lakh since the last delimitation exercise in 1976, the region’s seats have been reduced.

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Furthermore, no geographical survey has been conducted in the area, rendering the entire process invalid, according to Purkayastha.

The current delimitation exercise in Assam is based on the 2001 Census data, as mentioned in the statement released by the Election Commission.

The number of seats in the Legislative Assembly and the House of People remains unchanged at 126 and 14, respectively.

However, the proposed draft allocates 19 seats for Scheduled Tribes out of the 126 seats in the Legislative Assembly, compared to the previous 16 seats.

Similarly, two seats are proposed to be allocated for Scheduled Tribes out of the 14 seats in the House of People allocated to the State of Assam.

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Additionally, the number of Scheduled Caste assembly seats increased from 8 to 9.

The draft proposal has been prepared based on administrative units such as development blocks, panchayats, and villages in rural areas, as well as municipal boards and wards in urban areas, according to the Election Commission.

The Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, is scheduled to visit Assam again in July 2023 to hold a public hearing on the draft proposal.

Individuals and organizations have been urged to submit their suggestions and objections regarding the proposed delimitation before July 11, 2023, as part of the ongoing process.