Assam: TMC MP Sushmita Dev stages 10-hour hunger strike protesting ECI's delimitation draft

Rajya Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev undertook a 10-hour hunger strike on July 10, vehemently protesting against the proposed delimitation draft by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Dev's hunger strike aimed to shed light on the reduction of assembly seats in Assam's Barak Valley and the ECI's delimitation plans for the state's 126 assembly seats and 14 Lok Sabha seats.

Expressing her discontent, Dev addressed a letter to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on July 7, raising her concerns regarding the delimitation draft released by the ECI. She specifically criticized the timing of the process, which began after a gap of 47 years since 1976 in Assam, and the use of the 2001 census data as the basis for delimitation instead of the more recent 2021 census.

Citing constitutional provisions, Dev highlighted Articles 80 and 170 of the Indian Constitution, which state that readjustment of seat allocation is unnecessary until the first census after 2026 is published. She questioned the rationale behind initiating the delimitation process in Assam, particularly before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when seat numbers cannot be increased until after the 2026 census. Dev argued that the base census year should have been changed to the more up-to-date 2011 census.

Dev further voiced her criticism of the Election Commission, accusing it of disregarding objections raised by opposition parties during their visit to Guwahati in March 2023. She also alleged that the Chief Minister of Assam's statement on June 20, 2023, regarding delimitation has cast doubt on the government's intentions, surpassing the impact of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Assam Accord.

In her plea to the Law Minister, Sushmita Dev urged a reconsideration of the decision to proceed with the delimitation process in Assam, highlighting the concerns raised by opposition parties and the potential consequences of this course of action.