SC refuses to stay ongoing Assam delimitation

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the ongoing delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly seats in Assam by the Election Commission and sought the response of the Centre and the poll panel on a batch of pleas on the issue.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, agreed to examine the constitutional validity of Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 empowering the Election Commission to undertake the delimitation of constituencies.

The top court sought the replies of the Centre and the Election Commission on the petitions in three weeks and said the petitioners can file their rejoinders in two weeks after that.

Ten leaders representing nine opposition parties in Assam -- the Congress, the Raijor Dal, the Assam Jatiya Parishad, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and the Anchalik Gana Morcha -- recently filed a plea in the top court challenging the ongoing delimitation process.

Two other pleas are also pending before the court on this aspect.

The petitioners have specifically challenged the methodology adopted by the poll panel and its proposals notified on June 20, 2023.