SC Grants Centre Three Months to Complete Delimitation in Four Northeastern States including Manipur

Guwahati, March 18: The Supreme Court on Monday granted the Central government three months to complete the long-pending delimitation exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam. The decision comes after repeated delays despite a 2020 presidential order revoking the deferment of the process.

A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna acknowledged the Centre’s request for additional time, as presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and scheduled the next hearing for July 21, 2025. The court directed the government to ensure the process is completed within the given timeframe.

Expressing concerns over the prolonged delay, the bench questioned the government’s role in the matter, stating that once the President rescinds the earlier deferment notification, delimitation should proceed without further hurdles. It instructed the Centre’s counsel to seek clarification on the issue.

The government informed the court that while consultations were progressing in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, the situation in Manipur remained volatile due to ongoing ethnic violence, making the delimitation exercise difficult.

The plea was filed by the Delimitation Demand Committee for the State of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland. Advocate G Gangmei, representing the petitioners, argued that the 2020 presidential order made delimitation legally mandatory, yet no concrete steps had been taken. He noted that Assam had already completed its delimitation process in August 2023 following an order from the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that it required explicit directions from the Centre to proceed under Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The petitioners emphasized that the presidential order of February 28, 2020, had cleared the way for delimitation in these four states and Jammu & Kashmir, making further delays unjustified.

With the Supreme Court now setting a firm deadline, the focus will be on the Centre to meet its commitment and complete the delimitation exercise before the next hearing in July 2025.