The National Conference’s brazen boycott of the Delimitation Commission that will redraw the Assembly Constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is not surprising. The party has played such unethical and illogical games before too. Like it refused to be part of the local body elections in 2019 to register a protest but didn’t carry it on when it came to the Lok Sabha elections. The reason being that Lok Sabha elections are a cakewalk for NC with low polling percentage and its leaders didn’t want to miss the chance to become MPs. What is the political point the party and especially the Abdullah family that has ruled over the undivided J&K for the longest period are trying to make through such half-hearted moves? Delimitation is a mandatory process to which all democratic forces and especially elected members of Parliament should feel proud of being part of. Why are Farooq Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi and Akbar Lone not ready to be associate members not ready to join BJP MPs from Jammu Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma as associate members of the Commission? Probably because they fear the commission will give more seats to Jammu region, empowering it politically and bringing it at par with Kashmir division. NC has a history of opposing any move that empowers common man and challenges the status quo be that the local body elections that gave a say to new faces in Kashmir in governance, Autonomous hill council to Ladakh. The party opposes anything that would lead to the devolution of power and authority. The latest boycott is also in line with this. If NC members are really miffed with Narendra Modi government for whittling down of Article 370 and bringing about other changes in J&K then they could have made a proper protest by resigning from Lok Sabha. That would send a clear message to everyone including the public that has elected them. NC is often accused of playing a double game – showing one face in Delhi and another in Kashmir. The purpose of this protest is to tell the people that they were not part of an exercise that gave Jammu powers.