Key Points
Congress seeks delimitation based on accurate 2021 Census data
Political parties unite against premature electoral boundary changes
Supreme Court mandates delimitation completion within three months
Ethnic conflict complicates boundary demarcation process
Congress Vice-President in Manipur, Hareshwar Goswami, said that the issue of inaccuracy in the 2001 census arose after detecting a disproportionate growth rate of people in nine subdivisions across three districts in the state. “The growth rate of people was found to be over 100 per cent in a few subdivisions of the state,” he told the media. The Congress leader emphasized that the party supports delimitation, but it must be based on a correct census without any errors. He claimed, “Everyone knows that the 2001 census had many irregularities.”
Goswami pointed out that most people, political parties, civil societies, and social organizations in Manipur are not opposed to the delimitation process. They are asking for it to be conducted based on a genuine Census. He reiterated the Congress’s stance on re-demarcation of electoral boundaries, stating that the exercise must be conducted using the 2021 Census, with delimitation deferred until 2026. He requested that no delimitation should be carried out based on the inaccurate 2001 census.
On March 25, leaders of 16 political parties in Manipur held a significant meeting and urged the Central government to defer delimitation of constituencies until 2026, when national delimitation would be undertaken with new census figures. CPI-M Manipur state convenor Kshetrimayum Santa mentioned that the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress did not attend the meeting. “The meeting had resolved that the delimitation in Manipur should not be held till the rectification of the errors in the 2001 census in Manipur,” Santa stated.
He also noted that the meeting decided to urge the Central government to defer the delimitation until 2026 when national delimitation would take place with new census figures. Santa highlighted that, considering the prevailing ethnic conflict in Manipur since May 3, 2023, it is not feasible to carry out delimitation. “If any delimitation exercise were undertaken in Manipur, there would be real disturbances in public order. And as such, delimitation is not possible,” he added.
The March 25 meeting of the 16 political parties follows a recent directive from the Supreme Court, which has instructed the completion of the pending delimitation exercise in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam within the next three months. The leaders of the 16 political parties included AAP, BSP, CPI-M, NPP, CPI, JD-U, Naga People’s Front, RPI-A, AIFB, Trinamool Congress, NCP, NCP (SP), SP, RSP, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), and Manipur People’s Party.
