Imphal, October 14: In a major set back to the ruling Manipur Pradesh Congress party and other major political parties in the state, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their application seeking vacation of its stay order on Imphal bench of Guwahati high court order.

According to a statement issued by New Delhi based Legal Vistas, the high court had stalled the delimitation exercise conducted under Delimitation Act for Manipur and had asked the Census Commissioner to recount the population figure of nine sub-divisions of the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice RV Raveendran declined to vacate its July 13 order.

The apex court had stayed the January 2007 order of the high court.

The Court while dismissing the application wondered how all the major political parties combined together on the issue.

Have the congress, BJP, Communists and all major political parties joined hands on the issue, remarked Justice Raveendran.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, BJP, Federal Party of Manipur, Manipur People's Party, Democratic Revolutionary People's Party, CPI, CPM, NCP, RJD and Janata Dal had approached the apex Court seeking vacation of its stay order.

The political parties in their application had said that if the stay is not vacated, the forthcoming general election will be held on the basis of completely bogus figures and entire election starting from delimitation of constituencies to reservation of constituencies would be vitiated.

"The territorial constituencies which have been re-adjusted on the basis of census report, 2001 cannot be re-adjusted till 2026", the application said.

The existing territorial positions of 60 seats are likely to be disturbed affecting rights of the people residing in valley.

There is likelihood of the loss of five seats to the hill districts, the majority of people from valley being general will be deprived of their right to contest the election, insisted the application.

It was opposed by the centre and Indo Myanmar Tribal Development Association.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium appearing for the centre said that there were no discrepancies in six sub-divisions in which delimitation exercise has been stalled.

It was only in three sub-divisions, some discrepancies were noted which have been rectified, said Subramanium.

Senior counsel Soli Sorabjee and advocate Sundeep Srivastava appearing for Indo Myanmar Tribal Development Association and others said that the delimitation exercise on the basis of 2001 Census report will ensure adequate seats to the tribals inhabiting hill districts of the state.

In the State assembly, the valley areas have 40 seats and hills 20 only.

The delimitation exercise will ensure more seats going to tribals which should be allowed, argued Sorabjee.

In the state of Manipur the delimitation is yet to be completed.

The high court had passed the order on the petition of the political parties including ruling coalition government in the state alleging that the Census Report 2001 was flawed.

The high court on their petition had stalled delimitation exercise conducted under Delimitation Act for Manipur.

The high court in its final order passed in January 2007, had allowed the petition filed by various political parties and asked the Census Commissioner to recount the population figure in nine sub division of the state.

Comment