Delimitation Bill includes Jammu and Kashmir's occupied area in boundary redraw

It also mandates the reservation of approximately one-third of all seats for women.

Who it concerns: The law affects the Central Government, State Governments, the Election Commission, the newly constituted Delimitation Commission, and the general public by changing the geographic boundaries of their electoral constituencies and the number of representatives elected from each State and Union Territory.

What the bill does

• Constitution of a Delimitation Commission comprising a Supreme Court Judge (Chairperson), the Chief Election Commissioner (or nominee), and the State Election Commissioner.
• Mandatory reservation of as nearly as one-third of the total seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women, including those belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Rotation of seats reserved for women and for Scheduled Castes/Tribes across different constituencies within a State.
• Requirement that the total number of seats in a State Legislative Assembly must be an integral multiple of the number of Lok Sabha seats allocated to that State.
• Provision for the Election Commission to act as the Delimitation Commission for the portion of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan's occupation once that area ceases to be occupied.
• Power of the Commission to summon witnesses, require production of documents, and act as a civil court for specific enforcement purposes under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Also in the document

• The Bill explicitly includes provisions for the delimitation of constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, specifically addressing the area under Pakistan's occupation.
• The Bill references the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, indicating it is drafted in accordance with recent legal reforms replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• The Bill specifies that for the States of Meghalaya and Nagaland, the State Election Commissioner member of the Commission is a person nominated by the Governor, distinct from other States.