Assam Delimitation: Protests In Sivasagar, AGP MLA Resigns From Party After Constituency Dissolved

Amguri MLA Prodip Hazarika of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has resigned after his assembly constituency was dissolved due to a delimitation order by ECI.

In the wake of the Election Commission of India (ECI) releasing the final delimitation order for assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam, senior leader of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prodip Hazarika, has tendered his resignation from the party. Hazarika, the MLA of the Amguri assembly constituency, expressed his displeasure with the delimitation order, which resulted in the dissolution of his constituency.

Prodip Hazarika resigned from his organisational responsibilities within AGP, including the positions of General Secretary and Central Committee Member, in a letter sent to AGP president Atul Bora, news agency ANI reported on Saturday (Augist 12). 

The ECI's final delimitation order resulted in the exclusion of Hazarika's Amguri constituency, with its areas incorporated into the Nazira and Sibsagar Assembly constituencies, according to the report. In response, Hazarika resigned from the AGP and handed over his organisational responsibilities, including his positions as General Secretary and Central Committee Member, to AGP president Atul Bora.

In his resignation letter, Hazarika, who had represented Amguri for several years, expressed his emotional attachment to the constituency, referring to it as the "nursery" that shaped his political journey. He emphasised the constituents' disappointment in the party's inability to retain the constituency, the report said. 

Confirming his decision, Hazarika told ANI that he had submitted his resignation letter to the party president. The ECI's final delimitation order, disclosed on Friday, maintained the number of assembly seats at 126 and Lok Sabha seats at 14 for Assam.

Protests Erupt In Assam's Sivasagar District Against Delimitation Report: 

A surge of dissent engulfed Assam's Sivasagar district on Saturday, as fervent protestors flooded the streets to voice their opposition to the recently unveiled final delimitation report for assembly and parliamentary constituencies. Demonstrators resorted to a symbolic act of removing their shirts to express their objections, highlighting concerns about unmet demands for seat reservations and alterations to district boundaries.

The released final report, made public on Friday, maintained the count of assembly constituencies at 126 and Lok Sabha seats at 14, while significantly modifying the nomenclature of one parliamentary and 19 assembly constituencies as delineated in the preliminary notification. The Election Commission (EC) meticulously conducted the delimitation process, as per PTI.

Tensions escalated due to the omission of reservation for the Morigaon assembly constituency, a change that exacerbated dissatisfaction. "Local voices also raised objections against the division of Lahowal and Amguri assembly constituencies within Sivasagar district, as well as the incorporation of Sivasagar areas into adjacent districts," the report said. 

The delimitation exercise resulted in several changes, including an increase from eight to nine assembly seats allocated to Scheduled Castes. In addition, one assembly seat was added to the autonomous districts of West Karbi Anglong District. Scheduled Tribes have been allocated nineteen assembly constituencies and two parliament constituencies.

The delimitation process in Assam was based on the 2001 Census, in accordance with Articles 330 and 332 of the Indian Constitution. The state's Assembly and Parliamentary seats were last delineated in 1976, using data from the 1971 census.