Kathmandu, July 30

Political parties today urged the Constituency Delineation Commission to prioritise population while delineating constituencies, allocating at least one constituency to a district.

The constitution has provisioned that population should be given priority over geography while delineating constituencies.

Responding to the commission’s appeal for suggestions for constituency delineation, Nepali Congress leader Balkrishna Khand told this daily that the NC team suggested that districts like Rukum and Chitwan, which were divided between two provinces, could be given a constituency each.

The NC team, which also included Bimlanedra Nidhi, Minendra Rijal and Ram Sharan Mahat, suggested that the CDC should consider allocating at least one constituency to a district.

The CPN-UML, on the other hand, suggested to the CDC that the number of districts should be made 77, as Rukum and Chitwan were divided between two provinces, Pandey told THT.

“The CDC can give  51 to 60 per cent weightage to population and at least 40 per cent to geographical conditions while delineating constituencies. “But as per the constitutional provision, it cannot include two districts in a single constituency and divide a ward into two constituencies,” Pandey added. The CPN-UML team was led by party Chair KP Sharma Oli.