Parliament passed a bill to amend electoral laws for a limited delimitation exercise to grant voting rights to people of the former enclaves of Bangladesh, with the Rajya Sabha adopting it today. The Lok Sabha passed it yesterday.
These enclaves were exchanged pursuant to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and 2011 Protocol and Instruments of Ratification during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh last year.
The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It enables the Election Commission to carry out delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.