SHILLONG, Dec 19 — Members of the Meghalaya Assembly, cutting across party lines, today expressed strong reservations against the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission. Participating in a discussion on a private member’s motion, members warned that the arbitrary exercise of delimitation carried out without taking the State Government and the elected representatives into confidence would result in grave consequences. The proposals, which are yet to be received officially by the State Government, seek to restructure the Assembly constituencies to bring parity as per population.
But, in the process, seven Assembly segments in West Khasi Hills, which are Khasi dominated, are proposed to be tagged to the Garo-dominated Tura Lok Sabha constituency. Similarly, it is proposed to take away one Garo Hills assembly segment from Tura LS seat and tag it to shillong LS seat. Former Finance Minister, A H Scott Lyngdoh opposed the cloak of secretary shrouding the delimitation exercise. “It should be open and transparent in the true spirit of democracy”, he said. Rejecting the proposals, former Chief Minister E K Mawlong said “It is not acceptable to us. The exercise should be logical and practical”. Suggesting a way out of the impasse, he said the delimitation should be carried out without disturbing the district and Lok Sabha constituency boundaries.
Election Minister, O N Chyramang stunned the House saying that the State Government had no inkling about what was happening. “Nothing has come to us officially and whatever we have learnt is through newspaper reports and associate members in the Commission from Meghalaya”. Even the State Chief Electoral Officer has declined to give me any information on the delimitation matter on the ground that it was ‘confidential’ he admitted in the House.