The Election Commission of India began its public hearings in Guwahati on Wednesday its Delimitation proposal for Assam. The Commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel are hearing representatives from political parties, civil society organisations and other sections of society over three days till Friday.
After the proposal was published in June, 2023, suggestions and objections were invited till the 11th of this month. Over 780 representations have been received during this period. The public hearings are part of the consultative exercise by the Commission during the process of delimitation.
The Delimitation proposal seeks to retain the number of Lok Sabha seats at 14 and the number of Assembly seats at 126. The Scheduled Tribes are proposed to be allocated 19 seats out of 126 seats in the State Assembly, and 2 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. The Scheduled Castes are proposed to be allocated 09 seats in the Assembly, and One seat in the Lok Sabha.
The Commission had visited Guwahati in March, 2023 before the Delimitation exercise began. During the consultations at that time, representations were received from 11 political parties and 71 organisations. The last delimitation exercise in Assam was carried out in 1976.