IMPHAL, April 3: The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday has reiterated its strong opposition to conducting the delimitation process in Manipur based on the 2001 census, citing concerns over the reliability of the data.

Speaking at a press briefing at Congress Bhavan in Imphal, MPCC vice president and chief spokesperson Hareshwar Goswami stressed the need for a properly verified and authenticated census before any reallocation of seats takes place. He explained that delimitation is a crucial exercise to readjust the distribution of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies based on the most recent census.

Goswami pointed out that India has carried out four major census-based delimitation exercises in 1952, 1963, 1972, and 2002, corresponding to the census years of 1951, 1961, 1971, and 2001, respectively. However, due to the delay of the 2021 census until 2026 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, the next delimitation process will be based on the first census conducted after 2026, in line with the Constitution (Eighty-Fourth Amendment) Act, 2001.

In Manipur, attempts to carry out delimitation based on the 2001 census had previously sparked widespread protests and legal challenges, due to reports of unusually high population growth rates in certain sub-divisions. As a result, the Government of India issued a Gazette Notification on February 8, 2008, indefinitely deferring the delimitation process in the state.

Goswami noted that the order, issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice (Legislative Department), referenced Writ Petition (PIL) No. 16 of 2005 and other related cases, citing concerns about the reliability of the census data as the reason for the postponement. The issue was later taken to the Supreme Court of India by certain interested parties but was dismissed under Writ Petition (Civil) No. 296 of 2008 on August 21, 2014. The Supreme Court upheld the government’s 2008 notification, ruling that the matter did not require further examination.

Reaffirming MPCC’s stance, Goswami insisted that delimitation should only be conducted based on a properly verified and updated census, rather than the “disputed” 2001 data. He emphasized that the delayed 2021 census, now expected in 2026, must be conducted with complete accuracy before any fresh delimitation exercise takes place.