Correspondent
Assam Delimitation Proposal: Public Hearings Announced by Election Commission.
The ECI had previously requested suggestions and objections to its proposal by July 11, 2023, in a notification issued on June 20. Around 500 responses were received within the given timeframe, and the Commission is currently reviewing them.
The public hearings will take place at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra International Auditorium in Panjabari. The schedule for the hearings is as follows:
- July 19, 3 pm onwards: Public hearings for districts including Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao.
- July 20, 9:30 am to 12 pm: Public hearings for districts including Dhubri, Goalpara, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Cachar.
- July 20, 12 pm to 2 pm: Public hearings for Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro), Nagaon, Sonitpur, Morigaon, and Darrang districts.
- July 20, 3:30 pm onwards: Interaction with members of national and state recognized parties.
- July 21, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm: Public hearings for Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Golaghat, Majuli, and Tinsukia districts.
Participants who have submitted suggestions or objections and wish to present their views before the Commission are requested to attend the hearings according to the schedule for their respective districts between July 19 and 21.
It is important to highlight that members from 11 opposition parties in Assam recently staged a sit-in protest in front of the ECI office in New Delhi. They expressed their opposition to the proposed changes in the delimitation draft for the state. The protesters raised concerns about the ECI's refusal to meet with the visiting party delegation from Assam. The Congress party, along with other parties such as Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, Jatiya Dal, Trinamool Congress, NCP, CPI, CPI(M), CPI (M-L) Liberation, RJD, and JD(U), joined forces to oppose the delimitation draft.