A delegation from the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has approached the state's Governor, raising serious allegations against the ruling government regarding the ongoing process of redrawing municipal ward boundaries. The delegation, headed by the party's state working president Ashwani Sharma, submitted a formal memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday, urging his immediate intervention.
Allegations of Arbitrary and Hasty Process
The core accusation in the memorandum is that the Punjab government is conducting the ward delimitation for municipal corporations and councils across the state in an "arbitrary, hasty and illegal" manner. The BJP leaders argued that the exercise lacks proper groundwork and authentic data.
They specifically pointed out that the delimitation was initiated without a comprehensive door-to-door survey. The party highlighted that the population figures shown in the proposed new wards reveal a puzzling and significant decrease in numbers for almost all urban local bodies. "Such a drastic reduction in population cannot occur without large-scale migration or exceptional circumstances," the memorandum stated, concluding that the data used by the government is neither authentic nor verified.
Violation of Reservation Norms and Census Directives
The BJP's complaint extends to the process of reserving wards for Scheduled Castes and backward classes. The party alleged that wards with a relatively lower population of these communities have been "unnecessarily and arbitrarily" reserved. Conversely, areas with a higher concentration of SC and BC residents have been designated as general wards.
"This action is in total violation of the relevant statutory rules and constitutional principles governing reservation and its fair rotation," the BJP asserted in its document. Furthermore, the memorandum cited recent census notifications issued on June 6, 2025, and July 10, 2025, which mandate a freeze on the boundaries of administrative units, including municipalities and wards, for census operations.
"Despite the clear mandate in the census notifications regarding the freezing of municipal and ward boundaries, the government of Punjab is inclined to proceed with ward delimitation in a hurried and haphazard manner, in blatant violation of the notifications as well as the relevant rules and provisions of law," the party charged.
Seeking Governor's Intervention
The primary objective of the meeting with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria was to formally request his office to step in and halt the current delimitation process. The BJP delegation sought the Governor's direct intervention to ensure that the exercise is carried out in a transparent, legal, and fair manner, adhering to all constitutional guidelines and statutory rules.
The party's move signals escalating political tensions over the crucial issue of urban local body boundaries, which directly impact future elections and representation in Punjab's cities and towns. The outcome of this appeal to the Raj Bhavan is now awaited as the state government continues with its delimitation drive.
