Rajouri-Poonch clubbed with Anantnag as Delimitation Commission re-draws Lok Sabha constituencies in J&K
Move aimed at empowering people in the twin border districts including Gujjars and Bakarwals
JAMMU, FEBRUARY 5: In a major step towards empowering nomadic Gujjars and Bakarwals, the third largest ethnic group after Kashmiris and Dogras in the Union Territory, the Delimitation Commission in its draft report has proposed reconfiguration of all the five Lok Sabha constituencies.
The draft proposals shared with the Associate Members came as a surprise as reconfiguration of Lok Sabha constituencies rarely formed part of the discussion during the past nearly two decades.
The Commission has proposed creation of the first ever political unit that transcends the natural geographical boundary of Pir Panjal between Kashmir and Jammu divisions by making border Poonch and Rajouri districts part of the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency to be renamed as Anantnag-Rajouri constituency with highest percentage of nomadic Gujjars and Bakarwals who have been declared Scheduled Tribe.
Apart from Gujjars and Bakarwals as the largest group of population, both the Rajouri and Poonch districts also have a sizeable number of Hindus and Sikhs.
While most parts of Nowshera assembly constituency in Rajouri district which once represented by J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina have been added to Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, its Sunderbani sub-division along with Kalakote assembly segment are proposed to remain part of the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency.
In the proposed Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, Gujjars and Bakarwals stand a fair chance to get elected to Lok Sabha as the nomadic community will be making an over 19 per cent of the total population of 26,20,539 of the proposed constituency. It will be spread over assembly constituencies of Zainpura, Damhal Hanji Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Larnoo, Anantnag West, Anantnag, Pahalgam, Poonch, Surankote, Mendhar, Rajouri, Dharhal, Thanamandi and part of Nowshera.
The Jammu Lok Sabha seat which earlier comprised of Jammu, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts has been re-configured by excluding Rajouri and Poonch and including Reasi district. It will be spread over Assembly Constituencies of Mahore, Reasi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (Reasi district), Ramgarh, Samba, Vijaypur (Samba district), Bishnah, R.S. Pora, Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Bhalwal-Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh, Akhnoor, Khour (Jammu district) and Kalakote-Sunderbani (Rajouri district).
Of these assembly constituencies, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi comprising Katra and neighbouring areas will be the new constituency carved out of existing Reasi assembly segment, while new assembly constituencies of Jammu North and Bahu have been proposed in Jammu district. However, the number of constituencies in Jammu district will continue to remain 11 as the Commission has proposed Raipur Domana and Suchetgarh areas with other assembly constituencies.
The Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency is based on population of 2283876, of which the Scheduled Caste are 519483 (22 per cent) and Scheduled Tribe are 211066 (9.2 per cent).
The Udhampur Lok Sabha Constituency, which is at present spread over six districts, will comprise of five districts emerging smallest in terms of population set at 2098613.
The new Constituency will have assembly constituencies of Mughal Maidan, Kishtwar Paddar (Kishtwar district), Bhaderwah, Doda, Doda West (Doda district), Ramban, Banihal (Ramban district), Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, Ramnagar (Udhampur district), Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Kathua North, Kathua South and Hiranagar (Kathua district).
Of these, Mughal Maidan and Kishtwar Paddar are proposed to be carved out by bifurcating the existing Kishtwar assembly constituency, Doda and Doda West by bifurcating Doda constituency. It has also proposed to bifurcate Udhampur assembly constituency into Udhampur East and West, besides Kathua in Kathua North and South.
In Kashmir Valley the Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency, spread over five districts, as against three in the past, has emerged as largest in terms of population at 2677448. The newly designed Lok Sabha Constituency shall have two Assembly segments from Ganderbal district, eight from Srinagar district, three from Badgam district, four from Pulwama district and one from Shopian district.
The Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency shall have the following Assembly segments: Kangan, Ganderbal (Gandarbal district), Hazratbal, Khanyar, South Srinagar, Sonnwar, Chanapora, Zoonimar, Eidgah, Central Shalteng (Srinagar district), Khan Sahib, Charar Sharief, Chadoora (Badgam district), Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora (Pulwama district) and Shopian (Shopian district).
In north Kashmir, the Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency is to be spread over four districts including part of Badgam district in the Central Kashmir. The Constituency comprised population of 2586537, of which 7.1% are the Scheduled Tribe.The Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency shall be comprised of Karnah, Kupwara, Trehgam, Lolab, Handwara, Langate (Kupwara district), Sopore, Rohama-Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Tangmarg, Kunzer, Pattan (Baramulla district), Sonawari, Bandipore, Gurez (Bandipore district) and Badgam and Beerwah (Badgam district).
