MC polls: Govt is ready, but ML As want fresh de limitation

Local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu backs Amritsar, Jalandhar MLAs, says Amarinder will take the final call on the issue

CHANDIGARH: Ten days after Punjab government notified that it had finalised the delimitation process and was ready to conduct elections in three municipal corporations of Amritsar, J alan dh ar and Pa ti ala, Congress ML As have demanded fresh delimitation. They want boundaries of some of the wards re-drawn, and a number of wards reserved for women now to be reserved for men, and vice-versa. Earlier, the government had postponed polls in Ludhiana to January from December after Congress ML As complained of ‘improper delimitation’.

Congress MLAs Inderbir SinghBol aria and OP So ni, from Amritsar (south) and Amritsar (central), respectively, and Sushil Rinku from Jalandhar (west) have approached chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh seeking fresh delimitation of some municipal wards falling in their constituencies and a rethink on reservation for men and women. The state government has reserved 50% wards for women in these polls.

“I am with the MLAs and the final decision is of the CM,” said local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Officers, however, hinted at postponement of polls in Amritsar and Jalandhar corporations. “Only Patiala would be as per schedule ,” said a department offi- cer. The state government has always wanted to hold polls in Amritsar, J alan dh ar, Pa ti ala and Ludhiana corporation sin one go.

COMMISSIONERS ARE NOW HEADING CIVIC BODIES

Elections in four municipal corporations – Amritar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Ludhiana are over due after their five-year term expired in September. The government has removed the mayors—all of the SAD-BJP combine and have appointed commission- ers as officiating heads of these civic bodies. The opposition had been objecting to this arrangement. The SAD has already nominated teams of its leaders to prepare for the polls, a cause of worry for the Congress.

The ML As and the local bodies department have been at loggerheads for sometime. The department claims it takes all decisions based on suggestions from ML As, the legislators counter that their suggestions are never taken into account.

M LAS RE COUNT ISSUES

MLA Rinku told HT,“Of 23 wards in Jalandhar MC that fall in my constituency, boundaries and reservation of 10 wards has been incorrectly done. Jalandhar has 75wards.”From Amritsar,Soni, in whose constituency 14 wards fall, claimed that things ‘needed to be reworked’. Amritsar has 85 wards.