The newly created UT of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will be the only one in the country to undergo a delimitation exercise based on the population figures recorded in the 2011 census.

Delimitation in J&K

• The latest readjustment of boundaries of constituencies in other States and UTs has been done on the basis of 2001 census and in future it will be carried out according to the 2031 census.
• As per 2011 Census, the population in Kashmir region is 68,88,475, Jammu has a population of 53,78,538 and Ladakh has 2,74,289.
• Delimitation was last done in J&K in the year 1995.

The legal basis for delimitation

• Section 63 was introduced in the J&K Reorganisation Act so that delimitation exercise can be conducted smoothly without overlapping with other provisions of Delimitation Commission Act, 2002.
• It is a saving clause and since J&K is a UT, it now has constitutional safeguards.
• The provision did not require any separate legislation as it was incorporated in the primary Act.
• It says that “until the relevant figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published,” it shall not be necessary to readjust the constituencies.
• And any reference to the “latest census figures” in shall be construed as a reference to the 2011 census figures.
• The delimitation will be done for 90 seats as 24 seats fall in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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Explained: Delimitation of Constituencies

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