Former MP urges Centre for expansion of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha seats for Arunachal
The former minister also demanded increasing the Assembly seats from the current 60 to 90.
A file image of former MP Takam Sanjoy.
Itanagar, May 8: Former Arunachal Pradesh MP Takam Sanjoy has urged the Centre, the Delimitation Commission, and the Election Commission of India to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from two to six. Sanjoy, a former minister, also called for addition of another Rajya Sabha seat to the current one seat and increasing the Assembly seats from the current 60 to 90.
The ex-MP favoured Constitutional amendments to facilitate this change, stressing the importance of such a “revolutionary step” for the peace-loving people of the State. He noted that successive governments, particularly the Congress-led Central governments, had taken various political and socio-economic measures to uplift the indigenous population of Arunachal Pradesh through various constitutional reforms.
The senior Congress leader argued that the current political representation is insufficient for a State with geo-strategic importance, sharing international borders with China, Myanmar, and Bhutan. Arunachal Pradesh also has cultural diversity as it is home to 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes, Sanjoy said, adding that it is geographically the largest State in North East India. But the State has low literacy rates, ranking the second lowest in the country according to the 2011 Census. It is also lagging behind in socio-economic development due to its historical status as a late starter.
Among the key points supporting his demand, Sanjoy mentioned the unanimous resolution passed by the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly on March 23, 1998, advocating an increase in the Lok Sabha seats from two to six, and the Rajya Sabha seats from one to two.
The demand emerges due to a recent Constitutional amendment reserving 33 per cent of seats for women in both Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. He stated that population should not be the sole criteria for delimiting Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in tribal belts/States of the North East due to their unique and peculiar geo-political conditions.
The former minister also urged the people of Arunachal Pradesh, including elected representatives, political parties, civil society, and student organisations to join hands in support of this long-standing demand. He also announced plans to establish a permanent body to liaise with Central authorities and mobilise democratic delegations to push for timely action from the Central Government, the Election Commission, and the Delimitation Commission of India.
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Correspondent