New Delhi: The notifications altering constituencies in 24 states and union territories under the delimitation process today received Presidential assent, an action that raises questions over early assembly polls in Karnataka.
President Pratibha Patil has given her assent to the delimitation proposal, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesman said amid indications from the Law Ministry that it would come into immediate effect in almost all parts of the country.
This is except Meghalaya and Tripura where the assembly poll process is already on and there it would come into force from March 20. Also excluded are four north-eastern states; Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland and Jharkhand where there are some problems in the delimitation exercise.
The political map of the country would undergo a drastic change with the proposal to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies.
It is unclear when the assembly polls would be held in Karnataka where the President rule is expiring by May end.
EC sources said earlier it needed minimum three months time to carry out the delimitation process in the state, indicating that the poll would not be possible before August.
