Guwahati, Jan 01 (News on AIR): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the delimitation process would safeguard the interest of the indigenous people of the state.

Talking to newspersons in Guwahati, the Chief Minister said that delimitation process would be a non-political exercise based on data. He hoped that through this exercise, the rights of the Assamese people could be safeguarded in coming days.

He said that this process should be based on logic and not on emotions. On the issue of peace talks with ULFA Chief Paresh Baruah, he said that the government couldn't hold talks with ULFA on the sovereignty issue as demanded by Paresh Baruah. Sarma alao added that a total of 1,729 militants had laid down arms last year.

Earlier Election Commission of India had directed the chief electoral officer of Assam to take up the matter with the state government to issue a complete ban on the creation of new administrative units with effect from 1st January 2023 till the completion of delimitation exercise in the state.

Delimitation is the process of fixing boundaries of the territorial constituencies in a country or a state with a legislative body.