Delay in voters’ rationalization, Wards’ increase blocks electoral revision for ULBs

Exercise pending only in 5 Municipalities
*Some BJP leaders ‘pressurizing’ authorities

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Jan 21: Delay in rationalization of voters and delimitation of Wards in Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and increasing Wards in four Municipalities in Kashmir including Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and three Municipalities has resulted into delay in undertaking an exercise for revision of electorates in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), an exercise which is mandatory before holding of elections to the bodies.

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Officials told the Excelsior that boundaries of 234 Wards in 76 ULBs have been rationalized and approved by the State Election Commission (SEC). However, the problems persist with JMC, SMC and three Municipal bodies in the Kashmir division leading to delay in conduct of voter revision for the Municipalities.
“Work for rationalization and delimitation of Wards hasn’t been undertaken in the JMC as per Section 6 of Municipal Corporation Act 2000. Some of the BJP leaders, whose Wards have very less number of votes as compared to others, have reportedly been pressurizing the authorities not to rationalize the Wards as it will lead to addition of voters in their segments,” the officials said.
Some of the Wards in JMC have very high number of voters while others have very less electorates. Rationalization will lead to balance of voters in all 75 Wards of the Corporation. Even the Election Authority had earlier pointed out glaring discrepancies in number of voters in some of the Wards in JMC.
However, as far as SMC is concerned, one Ward has to be increased in the Corporation while Municipal Committees of Yaripora, Achabal and Devsar also have to undergo increase in number of the Wards.
The officials said increase in number of the Wards requires Government approval. The issue has been taken up with the Government but the matter is pending, they added.
“In rest of the Municipal Councils and Committees, the exercise for rationalization and delimitation of Wards, wherever required, has been completed,” they said.
Only yesterday, the State Election Commission had published final electoral rolls for the Panchayats taking number of voters to a little over 7 millions. However, the voter revision exercise for the Municipalities can’t be undertaken by the SEC unless rationalization of voters and delimitation is completed for all Urban Local Bodies.
Elections to the Municipalities too can’t be held without revision of electorates.
However, when the Panchayat and Municipal elections will be held depend on submission of report by a Commission set up by the Government to determine percentage of reservation to be given to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayat and Municipal elections.
Submission of report by the OBC Commission is mandatory before initiating the exercise for conducting local body elections. Presently, the women have 33 percent reservations in Urban and Rural Local Bodies while SCs and STs have been given reservations based on population.
“Once the Commission submits its report, the concerned Departments will undertake an exercise to reserve the Wards for women, SCs, STs and OBCs in Panchayats and Municipalities,” the officials said.
Because of the reservations to OBCs for the first time in these bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, elections to Panchayats and Municipalities, which were due to be held in October-November 2023, have been delayed.