Legislators of BJP in Manipur have called for the review of the 2001 census and implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the state undergoes the Supreme Court-mandated delimitation exercise.
The demand comes amid heightened ethnic tensions in the state, where the ongoing violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities has claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands since May 2023.
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The demand was raised at a meeting of BJP MLAs on Tuesday, convened in response to the Supreme Court’s March 17 directive to the central government to complete the delimitation process in Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland within three months.
Of the 37 BJP MLAs in Manipur, only 12 attended the meeting, all of whom represent constituencies in the Imphal Valley.
Senior BJP MLA Konthoujam Govindas emphasized the need to rectify perceived discrepancies in the 2001 Census before proceeding with the delimitation process.
The demand echoes concerns from the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent Meitei civil society organization.
COCOMI has strongly opposed any delimitation exercise before implementing the NRC, arguing that without removing illegal immigrants, the process could undermine the rights of indigenous communities.
On March 25, a coalition of 13 political parties, excluding the BJP and Congress, held a meeting to push for a review of the 2001 Census.
The parties—including the National People’s Party (NPP), Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Trinamool Congress—urged the Centre to delay the exercise until the alleged errors in the Census are rectified.
Delimitation is a constitutional process undertaken periodically to redraw electoral boundaries based on population data to ensure fair representation.
The last nationwide delimitation occurred in 2008, but it was deferred in Manipur and three other northeastern states due to security concerns and demographic complexities.
