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Plea against Delimitation Commission in Jammu and Kashmir, Supreme Court seeks Centre, Election Commission response

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The Supreme Court on Friday sought reply from the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, and the Election Commission (EC), on a plea against the constitution of the Delimitation Commission to redraw the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory.

Counsel representing the petitioners submitted before a bench headed by Sanjay Kishan Kaul that the delimitation exercise, which was carried out recently, was contrary to the scheme of the Constitution, as the alteration of boundaries could not be done.

The bench, also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, then asked counsel why the petitioners did not challenge the constitution of the Commission, which was formed some time ago. As counsel contended it is the Election Commission, as per delimitation order, which is empowered to do any changes, the bench further queried from the petitioners’ counsel as to why his clients did not challenge the formation of the Commission itself?

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the plea contends that delimitation can be conducted only by the EC and not the Delimitation Commission.

While objecting to some submissions, the bench told counsel that Kashmir was always part of India and just a special provision was removed.

Mehta said their case is that after Article 370 is gone, the census will only take place in 2026. He further added that delimitations are of two types: one based on geography done by the Delimitation Commission, and the other, by the Election Commission in connection with reservation of seats.

The petitioner’ counsel further argued that the government will place the delimitation order before Parliament, which would further complicate the matter. To this, the bench asked why the petitioners didn’t take it up two years ago.

After hearing the arguments, the top court issued notice to the Centre, J&K administration, and the poll panel, giving them six weeks to file their response, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 30.

The plea moved by Haji Abdul Gani Khan and Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mattoo, both residents of Kashmir, sought directions seeking a declaration that increase of number of seats from 107 to 114 in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is ultra vires the constitutional provisions such as Articles 81, 82, 170, 330, and 332 and statutory provisions particularly under section 63 of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

The plea also urged the top court to issue to direction to declare notification issued on March 6, 2020, constituting the Delimitation Commission to take up delimitation in the UT of J&K and states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

“In fact, in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the census operation was completed in 2001, but the delimitation was done in 1995. Even on this count, the entire process adopted is unconstitutional as there is no population census operation during 2011 at all for Jammu and Kashmir,” said the plea.

The plea argued that if August 5, 2019 was to unite the Jammu and Kashmir state with India, then the delimitation process defeats the “new order” of one nation and one Constitution in the country. It said: “While Article 170 of the Constitution of India provides that the next delimitation in the country will be taken up after 2026, why has the UT of Jammu and Kashmir been singled out?”

Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation Elections 2025-26: Final voter lists with voter photographs available for sale at the Central Election Office

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Mumbai: State Election Commission, Maharashtra has announced a revised schedule for publication of polling station wise voter lists in connection with the Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025-26. The order states that the complete municipality wise voter list shall be published as soon as it is completed. Accordingly, Mumbai Municipal Corporation has received polling station wise voter lists of 226 out of 227 wards from the State Election Commission today, January 6, 2026. The said lists along with polling station wise voter photographs are available for sale at the concerned Central Election Offices from Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The Municipal Administration appeals to the citizens/political parties to purchase these voter lists from the concerned Central Election Offices.

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Mumbai Press Exclusive News

If Uddhav Thackeray is elected unopposed then everything is fine, if someone else is elected then it is wrong: Deepak Kesarkar

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Mumbai: During the municipal elections, the leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray group are constantly trying to spread chaos. Sometimes they are spreading wrong information and sometimes they are doing politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Former Shiv Sena minister and MLA Deepak Kesarkar expressed his strong displeasure and reacted strongly to this irresponsible statement of the UBT. In a press conference held in Mumbai, Deepak Kesarkar said that the UBT leaders are busy defaming Maharashtra. They do not have any development plan, hence they are constantly making misleading and unnecessary statements. Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC was also present at the press conference.

Deepak Kesarkar questioned the UBT leaders and said that if Uddhav Thackeray can be elected unopposed, why not other candidates? It is wrong to repeatedly question the election process. The Election Commission works with complete transparency and under this transparency, all the candidates were elected unopposed. UBT has no development agenda, while Mahayoti is moving forward with development issues, which is why people have faith in Mahayoti.

Reacting strongly to Sanjay Raut’s statements, Deepak Kesarkar said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belongs not only to Maharashtra but to the entire country. The kind of politics Sanjay Raut is playing in the name of a great personality shows that his health is still not good. He should re-evaluate himself so that he can stop making such absurd statements.

He added that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was given the highest honour during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shivaji Maharaj’s emblem was included in the Indian Navy’s emblem, a move that no government had done before.

Shiv Sena national spokesperson Shaina NC targeted UBT and said that in the last 25 years, Mumbai has been full of potholes. However, now Shiv Sena central leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has pledged to make Mumbai pothole-free. The work has started, and by 2027, all the roads of Mumbai will be pothole-free.

He added that a detailed blueprint for Mumbai was prepared in an important meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Under this blueprint, several important decisions related to roads and transportation have been taken, which will provide significant relief to the people of Mumbai.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai municipal elections: A series of rebellions among political parties

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Mumbai: Ahead of the Mumbai municipal elections, the migration of disgruntled party leaders to other parties has begun. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has suffered a major setback before the municipal elections. Several MNS leaders have joined Shiv Sena Shinde Sena. Along with this, Santosh Dhuri, a close associate of Raj Thackeray, joined the BJP. Even after this, the party change is not stopping and many senior MNS leaders have joined Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde and raised the flag of rebellion against the party. Before the BMC elections in Mumbai, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray had formed an electoral alliance, but the rebel leaders of these parties are still separating from the party, due to which there is a long series of rebellions in both the parties. Many leaders, unhappy with not getting tickets, are leaving their party and joining other parties. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena General Secretary Raja Bhau Chogle, MNS spokesperson Hemant Kamble, MNS Chhatrapati Sena General Secretary Rahul Topalonde, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Sandesh Shetty, Munawar Sheikh, Ashish Mark, Prathamesh Banerjee, Santosh Yadav joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On this occasion, Shinde welcomed all of them into the party and wished them well for their future. On this occasion, Shiv Sena General Secretary Rahul Shivale, Shiv Sena Secretary Sushant Shelar, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mahatre and all local office bearers and workers of Shiv Sena were present.

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