All Political Party meet mooted
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 30:
The associate members of the Delimitation Commission discussed the issues pertaining to the Census 2001 on which basis, the Delimitation exercise will be carried out and which will have an impact on the distribution of the Assembly Constituencies in the State, with Chief Minister O Ibobi in the chair today evening.
The meeting also decided to convene an All Political Party meeting on December 5 to discuss further course of action and strategy to be adopted.
Today's meeting was held ahead of the scheduled December 10 meeting at Delhi where the Chairman of the Delimitation Commission of India is expected to work out the re-arrangements of the Assembly Constituencies of the State.
Apart from the Chief Minister, the others present at the meeting included former Chief Minister and MLA of NCP, Radhabinod Koijam, former Chief Minister and now State president of the RJD W Nipamacha, Health Minister Ph Parijat, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing and MPP MLA O Joy.
The meeting decided to oppose any delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2001 Census report, said sources.
An political party meeting will be held on December 5 and a team from all the political parties will proceed to Delhi on December 7 to pressurise the Centre not to go ahead with the delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2001 Census.
The team will seek an audience with the Prime Minister as well as with the Union Home Minister to impress upon them the need to exempt the North East States from the delimitation exercise.
The associate members from the State will attend the meeting being convened by the Commission on December 10 at Delhi.
Today's meeting decided to protest any decision to hold the delimitation move on the basis of the Census 2001 report.
The Centre will be told in no uncertain terms that if the exercise is carried out on the basis of the contentious Census 2001 report, then trouble will break out in Manipur.
The draft consultation working paper drafted by the Delimitation Commission has been circulated to the associate members earlier.