Chandigarh, January 2
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab delegation today submitted a memorandum to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Lok Bhawan, urging his immediate intervention against what they termed as “arbitrary, hasty and illegal” ward delimitation being carried out by the Punjab Government for Municipal Corporations and Councils across the State. Led by BJP Punjab Working President Ashwani Sharma, the delegation included senior leaders including former Minister Manoranjan Kalia, State Vice-President Dr. Subhash Sharma and State Media Head Vineet Joshi. The party alleged that the delimitation exercise was politically motivated and demanded corrective measures to safeguard democratic norms.
“It is a matter of grave concern that the State Government is conducting the process of ward delimitation in an undue haste and in a manner which is causing harassment, uncertainty and distress among the inhabitants of Punjab. The entire exercise appears to be politically motivated, intended to confer undue advantage upon persons aligned with the ruling dispensation, rather than being carried out in a fair, transparent and lawful manner”, Ashwani Sharma told media persons after submitting the memorandum.
The memorandum, a copy of which was also released to media reads, “The delimitation has been undertaken without conducting any proper door-to-door survey. The population figures reflected in the proposed wards show an unnatural and unexplained decrease across almost all urban local bodies in Punjab. Such drastic reduction in population cannot occur without migration or exceptional circumstances, which clearly indicates that the data relied upon by the State Government is neither authentic nor verified.”
BJP leaders claimed that the wards have been intermingled in an irrational and illogical manner. “The principle of continuity and contiguity has not been followed. Areas situated far apart have been clubbed together, while natural boundaries and local cohesion have been ignored, thereby defeating the very object of ward delimitation”, said Sharma.
The Memorandum also mentioned, “It is also evident that wards having comparatively less population of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes have been unnecessarily and arbitrarily reserved, while areas having a higher concentration of SC and BC population have been made general wards. This action is in total violation of the relevant statutory rules and constitutional principles governing reservation and its fair rotation.”
BJP leaders urged the Governor that he should take note that the Census Department of the Union Government has issued notifications dated 16.06.2025 and 10.07.2025 in connection with the conduct of the 16th Census of India, wherein it has been categorically directed that the boundaries of administrative units, including Municipalities and municipal wards, shall be frozen for census operations.
“Despite the clear mandate contained in the aforesaid Census notifications regarding the freezing of municipal and ward boundaries, the Punjab Government is inclined to proceed with ward delimitation in a hurried and haphazard manner, in blatant violation of the said notifications as well as the relevant rules and provisions of law. The action of the State Government not only undermines the sanctity of the census process but also strikes at the very root of administrative discipline and constitutional governance”, said Sharma.
Sharma pointed out that the delimitation exercise, instead of being based on authentic and verified data of the Census Department, is being conducted on arbitrary assumptions and manipulated figures, thereby eroding public confidence in democratic institutions and processes. “In these circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that you may be pleased to summon the complete record pertaining to ward delimitation from the Department of Local Government, Punjab and kindly direct the State Government to strictly adhere to the statutory rules, constitutional provisions and the Census notifications issued for the conduct of the 16th Census of India”, reads the Memorandum.
Sharma also prayed before the Governor that the State Government be directed to ensure that any delimitation exercise is undertaken only on the basis of authentic and verified census data and in accordance with law.
