Delimitation Process: APCC Again Turns Down EC’s Invitation
Guwahati: The Election Commission invited the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) to participate in the consultation process about delimitation on Tuesday, but the APCC declined.
While addressing a press meeting at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, APCC chief Bhupen Borah said, “The EC sent us invitation again after we did not attend participate in the consultancy process. Several political parties who had attended the meeting suggested us that we should have gone and participate in it.”
“But we weren’t waiting for the consultancy process to happen as we met the EC just after the notification of delimitation process was issued,” Borah said.
“Other political parties have put forward their views regarding the delimitation process to the EC however, we did the same before the consultancy process was started,” he added.
Giving these statements, the APCC chief said, “So, we do not have any additional views or opinions to put forward in front of the Election Commission.”
Top leaders of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) and the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) decided yesterday not to take part in the ongoing delimitation exercise’s consultation process after receiving no satisfactory response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) despite repeated reminders. On the other hand, the ECI had invited Congress delegates to meet with the Commission until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
In a statement, the ECI asked the Congress representatives to participate in the delimitation consultation process in order to make it more inclusive and participatory.
It stated that the Indian National Congress (INC) delegation had already been allotted time in New Delhi on January 4, 2023, before anyone else.
“The INC again requested time from the Commission on March 22, 2023 for a meeting to which the Commission replied stating that since the Commission is already visiting Assam in the coming days, they will meet the INC delegation in Guwahati, Assam on March 27, 2023,” the statement read.
Furthermore, according to ECI, individual responses are not customary and, in any case, cannot be made in conjunction with the Delimitation exercise without first hearing from all parties involved.
Meanwhile, 76 representatives from civil society organizations, non-recognized political parties, and 10 recognised national and state political parties attended a meeting of the Commission in Guwahati on Monday in response to the Commission’s invitation.
The election commission arrived in Guwahati on Sunday for a three-day tour to assess the ground reality and expectations of stakeholders and the general public on the ongoing delimitation exercise in the state of Assam. Earlier in the day, the Congress Legislature Party and APCC jointly held a press conference where Bhupen Borah stated that they will not attend the all-party meeting with the election commission.
Borah said, “On March 4, I met the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in Delhi and submitted a memorandum. The Chief Electoral Officer said they will send respond in writing. Following the meeting, we gave several reminders in connection with the memorandum but they did not respond till now.”
Borah added, “We are not against delimitation exercise, but there are flaws in it and we are opposing those flaws.”
“We will not meet the election commission until and unless they don’t respond to our memorandum,” he said.
“Even if we receive a response after the press conference, we will take a decision,” he added further.
