Supreme Court Grants Three Months for Northeastern Delimitation

ITANAGAR: In a surprising twist, the Supreme Court of India has granted the Centre a three-month time frame to conduct the delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam. The decision was delivered during a hearing headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who granted the request made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for additional time.

The court also voiced its apprehension about the delays in the delimitation process that had been ordered by a presidential notification in 2020 revoking earlier deferments. Chief Justice Khanna asked if there was any need for government intervention, saying, "Once the president rescinds the notification, that is sufficient to go ahead with the delimitation exercise."

The Centre informed the court that while consultations are ongoing in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the situation in Manipur remains challenging due to ongoing violence. The Supreme Court was addressing a petition from the Delimitation Demand Committee representing the northeastern states, which argued for the immediate implementation of the delimitation process.

Advocate G Gangmei, representing the petitioners, emphasized that the presidential order from February 28, 2020, made the delimitation legally obligatory. He noted that despite the passage of two years since the petition was filed, no substantial progress has been made in Arunachal, Nagaland, and Manipur, while Assam completed its delimitation in August 2023. The Election Commission of India stated that specific directives from the central government are necessary to initiate the process under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

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