Delimitation in Manipur, Arunachal, Nagaland & Assam: SC sets July deadline for Centre
The hearing follows concerns over delays despite a 2020 presidential order.;
The Supreme Court of India (Photo: PTI)
Guwahati, March 18: The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Central government three months to complete the delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam, following repeated delays in implementing the process.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna acknowledged the Centre’s request for additional time, as presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and scheduled the next hearing for July 21, 2025. The bench directed the government to ensure the exercise is completed within the given timeline.
The court raised concerns over the prolonged delay in implementing delimitation, particularly since a 2020 presidential order had already revoked the earlier deferment of the process.
"Once the President rescinds the notification, that is enough to proceed with the delimitation exercise. Where does the government come in?" the bench asked, instructing the Centre’s counsel to seek clarification on the matter.
The Centre explained that while consultations were ongoing for Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the situation in Manipur remained unstable due to ongoing ethnic violence, making the exercise difficult to execute.
The plea was filed by the Delimitation Demand Committee for the State of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland in Northeast India. Representing the petitioner, Advocate G Gangmei argued that the 2020 presidential order made delimitation legally mandatory.
"Two years have passed since the writ petition was filed, yet no concrete steps have been taken to initiate delimitation in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur," Gangmei stated. He pointed out that Assam was the only state to have completed its delimitation process in August 2023, following an order from the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that it required specific directions from the Centre before initiating delimitation under Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The petition stressed that the presidential order of February 28, 2020, had cleared the way for delimitation in the four Northeastern states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, making further delays unjustified.
With the Supreme Court now setting a firm deadline, all eyes will be on the Centre to complete the delimitation exercise as per its directive before the next hearing in July 2025.
