The notification issued by the Delimitation Commission, delimiting the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, would change the state’s political equation. Though the forthcoming Assembly polls scheduled in February would not be held as per the fresh delimitation, but the power balance in the state would be affected in the long run.

As per the new delimitation, the total number of Assembly seats in nine hill districts have come down to 34 from the present 40, while, the four plain districts of Dehradun, Hardwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital would gain these six seats. The delimitation of the Assembly segments for the first-ever Assembly elections in 2002 was done on the basis of the 1971 census report. In the 70-member Assembly, the four plain districts namely Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Hardwar and Nainital had 30 seats while the remaining 40 seats went to the nine hill districts.

The issue is bound to be raised during the campaigning for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a regional political outfit which opposed the delimitation process, has already launched a campaign against the notification blaming the ruling Congress as well as main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for the delimitation process. “The delimitation done on the basis of population would ultimately negate the very purpose of forming a separate hill state as population in the hills has been on the decrease,” Shivanand Chamoli, UKD general secretary said.

The ruling Congress and the BJP have adopted a studied silence on the issue. Leaders of the hill districts cutting across party lines are opposing the delimitation process because, as per the Delimitation Act , the basis for formation of Assembly segments is population. And, according to the 2001 census report, the majority of the population in Uttaranchal is concentrated on the plains.