Delimitation bill provides for European Commission to conduct exercises in Pakistan-occupied J&K areas

NEW DELHI: In line with New Delhi’s consistent position that Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is an integral part of India, the provisions of the Delimitation Bill 2026 have incorporated a futuristic provision authorizing election committee The constituencies of J&K under Pakistan occupation are delimited whenever they “cease to be occupied”.Although the current electoral strength for the J&K Assembly is 90, this does not include the 24 seats in PoJK that remain “vacant” and are not counted in the total membership of the Assembly. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 – one of the three bills slated to be tabled on Thursday, the others being the Delimitation Bill and the Constitution (131) Amendment – empowers the Delimitation Commission to decide the revised number of seats in the J&K Assembly, which should not be lower than the current 114 seats. It revoked the provisions of the J&K Reorganization Act that excluded PoJK areas and seats while delimiting territorial constituencies in J&K.Importantly, the UT Law Bill proposes to amend Section 15 of the J&K Reorganization Act to increase the number of women members nominated by the Lieutenant Governor to the J&K Assembly from the existing two to three.However, only after the constituency realignment comes into effect, the number of female MLAs nominated should be increased to three based on the new delimitations.According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the UT Act, the provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 are based on the existing constitutional framework regarding population, delimitation and reservation. “Under the revised constitutional scheme, the term ‘population’, the allocation of seats and the adjustment of parliamentary and parliamentary constituencies are proposed to be administered with reference to the census determined by law by Parliament, and such adjustments will be made by the Delimitation Commission.” The revised scheme also adjusts the functioning of reservation of seats for women,” it noted, while adding that the proposed amendments bring the bills in line with the revised constitutional scheme”.