The delimitation Commission on the re-alignment of assembly constituencies has recommended the creation of seven new seats in Kerala. The commission Chairman Kuldip singh stated that the recommendation was based on the population census of 2001 that put the increase of population at 10491244 as against the 1971 census. Of the seven new seats, four are in the Muslim dominated north Kerala district of Malappuram. The others are also in the Muslim majority areas of the northern districts of Kannur ,Kozhikode and Palakkad.
The commission recommended the scrapping of seven other assembly seats considering a drop in the population. The seats under the axe are located in the southern and central districts of Alleppey, Pathamthitta,Trichur, Kottayam and Kollam, all of which are chiefly populated by Hindus and Christians.Political observers feel that, the proposals, if implemented, would result in the Muslim League getting seven more seats in the Kerala legislative assembly. Presently, the Muslim league is the major constituent of the Congress led coalition government that rules Kerala.
The CPI ( Communist Party Of India
) representative to the commissions meeting protested against the
recommendations saying that it penalized the communities in the districts
which co-operated with the Governments population control efforts, while
it rewarded those who opposed population control on religious grounds.
The CPI is sore as the seats to be scrapped are considered to be its strongholds.