Lok Janshakti Party (LJK) on Friday announced to launch a movement to set up a fresh delimitation commission to ensure that Jammu region gets its "due share" in carving out Assembly segments in Jammu and Kashmir.
"J&K LJP will launch a concerted struggle for setting up of fresh delimitation commission for carving out Assembly constituencies in the three regions of the state proportionate to their respective population, area and accessibility," LJP state president Sham Lal Gupta told reporters.
He appealed to all the Jammu-based and pro-Jammu socio- political organisations as well as the civil society to launch a united struggle for achievement of the objective. "The movement will give Jammu region its due share in power structure in the state and get it rid of political domination of Kashmir valley," he said.
Gupta alleged that Jammu region is under represented in the State Assembly. "Whereas in average an Assembly constituency comprises of 60 thousand votes in Kashmir valley, in Jammu region a constituency in average is carved for 80 thousands voters," he said. "While the population ratio of Jammu region and Kashmir Valley is almost the same, the overall area of Jammu region is 3 times more than that of Kashmir valley," the LJP leader said.
"Further, the whole of Kashmir valley can be covered in a vehicle in one day, the far flung areas of Jammu take 2 to 3 days to reach. Most of the Jammu region comprises of hilly remote areas with rare accessibility," Gupta said.
As per the set norms the Assembly constituencies are carved keeping in view the population ratio, over all area, topography and accessibility, he said, adding that if this criteria is adhered to, Jammu should have more constituencies than in Kashmir valley.
"But presently Jammu has only 37 Assembly seats, while Kashmir valley has 46 seats. This is gross injustice with Jammu region, which deprives it of its due share in power structure in the state," Gupta said.
To debar Jammu region of its due share in Assembly seats and political power, the Kashmir-centric ruling dispensations have put moratorium against appointing of fresh delimitation commission till 2026, which is a gross injustice with Jammu, Gupta said.
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