Let us call it “Himaling”. We do not know if he will continue to be Assam’s CM after the impending assembly elections. But Himanta Biswa Sarma has already earned a dubious distinction in the annals of Indian democracy. Just as Americans coined the word “gerrymandering” to remember Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who created a constituency resembling a salamander, India must honour the man who brought the science of gerrymandering to India. I propose “Himaling” to remember the mala-shaped constituency that was carved out to oust Himanta’s political rival.

We in India did not know much about gerrymandering. Those who did, knew it as an American disease that we were safe from. Unlike in the US, legislators in India do not have the power to draw electoral boundaries to their liking. The delimitation of constituency boundaries (“redistricting” in American lingo) is carried out here by a quasi-judicial body, the Delimitation Commission, headed by a judge, in association with the Election Commission. Tales of manipulation of a constituency boundary to suit one party or leader were not unheard of in the past, but for all its other flaws, the idea of a systematic and full-scale manipulation of the entire exercise to give the incumbent a permanent advantage was still alien to Indian democracy.

No longer. The latest delimitation of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies for Assam, completed in 2023, has inaugurated the age of gerrymandering. This has grave implications for the forthcoming delimitation, due anytime after 2026. Much of the discussion around delimitation has focused, rightly so, on the reapportionment of Lok Sabha seats among states and the threat to federal balance. But little attention has been paid to this other aspect of delimitation, the routine redrawing of constituency boundaries........

© Indian Express