Chandigarh, February 15
When the next general elections are ordered in the country, three of the 13 parliamentary and 16 of the 117 assembly constituencies in Punjab will not only have new territorial jurisdictions, but also new names.
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Old: Phillaur (SC)
Ropar (SC)
Tarn Taran New: Anandpur Sahib,
Fatehgarh Sahib (SC)
Khadoor Sahib
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While Mohali and Dera Bassi are among the newly carved-out Assembly constituencies, some of the well-known existing assembly segments have either been merged with any of their contagious constituency or have paved the way for one of 16 newly christened seats.
Of the 13 parliamentary seats, four will now be reserved for Scheduled Castes, while 34 of the 117 assembly seats from now onwards will be contested by candidates belonging to the SC candidates.
After the Union Cabinet gave its approval to the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission yesterday, Phillaur (SC), Ropar (SC) and Tarn Taran parliamentary constituencies have faded into oblivion. Instead, the new constituencies carved out in their place are Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib (SC) and Khadoor Sahib.
In the coming elections, both
Jalandhar and Faridkot will also be reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates.
Incidentally, the three newly christened parliamentary constituencies have been named after historic towns of Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib and Khadoor Sahib.
While the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance had reportedly consented to the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission headed by Justice Kuldip Singh, the main Opposition party, Congress, continues to have mixed reaction to the fresh division of territories of the Assembly and parliamentary constituencies.
While the parliamentary seats held by the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Badal (Faridkot) and the former Punjab BJP president, Avinash Khanna (Hoshiarpur), have been reserved for SC candidates, newly carved-out Anandpur Sahib (in place of Ropar) and Bathinda parliamentary constituencies have been de-reserved.
Jalandhar, which is represented by Rana Gurjit Singh (Congress), will also be reserved for SC candidate in the next election.
Some of the well-known assembly seats like those of Beas, Naushera Pannuan, Verka and Valtoha (Amritsar), Kila Raipur (Ludhiana), Banur (Patiala), Sherpur and Dhanaula (Sangrur) and Joga (Bathinda) will no more be there. Instead, their territories and electors have been included in the newly named constituencies like Khem Karan, Shahkot, Urmar, Chabbewal, Anandpur Sahib, Mohali (SAS Nagar), Sahnewal, Ludhiana South, Ludhiana Central, Atam Nagar, Ferozepur Rural, Bathinda Urban and Bathinda Rural, Jaitu, Mahal Kalan, Amargarh and Dera Bassi, besides a few others.
