Omar Abdullah Seeks Election Commission Reforms, Calls J&K Delimitation Opaque
Omar Abdullah has urged corrective action in the Election Commission and criticised Jammu and Kashmir's delimitation as opaque and partisan.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday urged corrective action within the Election Commission of India, saying public faith in the electoral process must be protected.
His remarks followed a news report that two commissioners had raised objections to several decisions taken within the poll body headed by Gyanesh Kumar. The Election Commission responded that disagreements are a normal part of decision-making.
Abdullah said complaints about the commission's functioning have persisted. "Otherwise, nothing will be left once people lose faith in elections," he said, describing the loss of confidence in elections as a major threat.
Turning to his own union territory, the chief minister said Jammu and Kashmir faced an opaque delimitation exercise before the Special Intensive Revision became a national controversy. He alleged that the process was flawed and designed to benefit one political party and its allies.
The delimitation redrew the 90 assembly constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir after the erstwhile state lost its special status, was bifurcated into two union territories and stripped of statehood. Because population was not the sole criterion, allegations of gerrymandering followed, with critics arguing the exercise sought to reduce the political weight of the Muslim-majority population in several areas, including regions outside the Hindu-majority Jammu belt. The BJP has rejected those allegations.
Abdullah's demand for reform adds to a broader debate over the credibility of electoral institutions, with opposition parties pressing for greater transparency in the commission's working.