Chandigarh [India], January 2 : BJP Working State President of Punjab, Ashwani Kumar Sharma, on Friday, alleged that the delimitation carried out for the upcoming local body elections in the state was done "in violation of rules" and demanded that the polls be conducted on time, but based on previous ward boundaries.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Punjab Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, Sharma said that while the next national census was expected to begin soon, the state government had gone ahead with "hadbandi (delimitation)" without taking population data into account.
"The Nagar Palik and Nagar Nigam elections should be held on time, but based on older wardbandi ... While the following year the census is going to start, without keeping that in mind, by their own free will, by violating the rules, they (the government) have done hadbandi (delimitation)," he said.
Sharma alleged discrepancies in the newly redrawn wards, claiming that both the Scheduled Caste and general population proportions had not been adequately considered, and that this was done solely to benefit the ruling party and to stop the election altogether.
He added that the BJP delegation had apprised the Governor of their concerns and sought his intervention.
Sharma said, "The governor has listened to us very carefully, and he has the authority to decide how our viewpoints will be expressed to the government, which is why we met."
Municipal corporation and municipal council (Nagar Nigam and Nagar Palika) elections in Punjab have been pending for several months. The issue of ward delimitation has become a major political flashpoint between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and opposition parties, including the BJP and Congress.
Delimitation of wards defines the geographical boundaries and voter distribution across urban local body seats. Opposition parties have alleged that the fresh wardbandi exercise was "politically motivated" and tilted in favour of the ruling party. At the same time, the government maintains that the process was carried out in accordance with established norms.
With civic elections seen as a key test of urban electoral strength ahead of larger political contests, the dispute over delimitation has intensified, prompting the BJP to seek the Governor's intervention.