SC directs Centre to complete delimitation in Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur, Assam in 3 Months

The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Central government three months to complete the long-pending delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam, expressing concern over repeated delays in its implementation.

According to PTI, 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 court directed the government to ensure the process is completed within the given timeline.

The bench questioned the delay, particularly since a 2020 presidential order had already revoked the earlier deferment of the delimitation process. “Once the President rescinds the notification, that is enough to proceed with the delimitation exercise. Where does the government come in?” the court asked, instructing the Centre’s counsel to seek clarification.

The Centre cited ongoing consultations in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, while stating that the situation in Manipur remained unstable due to ethnic violence, making the exercise difficult to execute.

The plea was filed by the Delimitation Demand Committee for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland. Advocate G Gangmei, representing the petitioners, argued that the 2020 presidential order had 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 noted 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.

Meanwhile, 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 petitioners argued 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.

MT