Supreme Court affirms delimitation process in Jammu & Kashmir, dismisses petition challenge
On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition challenging the notifications for the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
A division bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and comprising Justice A S Oka added that its decision on delimitation won’t have a bearing on a separate batch of matters where abrogation of Article 370 is under challenge before a Constitution bench.
The bench said, “We have given the rider that the issue of the Reorganisation Act is pending before this Court and we have not said anything on the merits of the same. Otherwise petition is dismissed.”
The detailed judgment will be uploaded later in the day.
The top court delivered judgment in a petition filed by two Srinagar residents – Haji Abdul Gani Khan and Dr Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, challenging the increase in the number of seats from 107 to 114 in the UT.
The petitioners had argued that it was ultra vires Articles 81, 82, 170, 330 and 332 of the Indian Constitution and Section 63 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 dividing the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, the Delimitation Commission was appointed to redraw the Assembly constituencies of J&K. The commission submitted its report recommending 90 Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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Abdullas and Muftis must be crying in silence.