Politicians reject delimitation draft of Batala MC wards - SDM sends new recommendations to the state govt

Monday, 22/09/2014

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140922/punjab.htm#7

Batala : Leaders of three main political parties Ashwani Sekhri (Congress), LS Lodhinangal (SAD) and Ashok Modgil (BJP) have outrightly rejected the proposals of the Batala delimitation committee, forcing Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) JS Grewal to send a new draft to the state government after incorporating suggestions of these leaders.

The Batala Municipal Council (MC) has 33 wards and after the delimitation process, this number will increase to 35.

The process of identifying new wards is being carried out by the Local Bodies Department, which is headed by a BJP minister. It is a well-known fact that the party that controls the MC holds the key to the city.

Batala Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri, who is an ex-officio member of the civic body, said the committee’s interim recommendations were not in accordance with the norms. “In some wards, the number of voters has been shown to be more than the total population of Batala. We have given other suggestions to the SDM, who is the president of the committee, and hope that they are incorporated in the new delimitation process,” he said.

The SDM said he had sent the new proposals to the state government and was awaiting their approval before finalising the new wards.

Like the Congress, the SAD too has virtually rejected the proposals of the old committee. Former MLA and Batala halqa in charge LS Lodhiangal said if the process was given a political colour, the party would be left with no option but to sever ties with the BJP and contest from all the 35 wards on its own.

“It is a well-known fact that the Local Bodies Department is overseeing the process. The Department is being headed by a BJP Minister and if the process is given political colour, we will contest from all the 35 wards on our own. The survey team that came from Chandigarh did not meet even a single resident or former municipal councillor as should have been the case. This is the reason why we have suggested other parameters to the SDM on the basis of which the new de-limitation should be done,” Lodhinangal added.

Meanwhile, the Batala BJP is a divided lot over the process. Shortly, after the committee ended its deliberations, two senior leaders raised a banner of revolt. Former district BJP president, Naresh Mahajan, former state BJP Yuva Morcha president Vivek Modgil and some former BJP councillors alleged that the entire delimitation process was being carried out under the influence of a particular group of persons.

They claimed that as per rules, connectivity in the ward area should be taken into consideration during the demarcation of the wards but in the proposal, some of the areas added in the wards were those which did not have any connectivity with the concerned ward.

They said they had already raised their objections with the local administration and the BJP high command and if their objections were not considered, they would knock the doors of court.

Objections

Batala Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri said in some wards, the number of voters had been shown to be more than the total population of Batala
   
Local SAD halqa in charge LS Lodhiangal said the survey team had not meet any resident or former municipal councillor as should have been the case

Former district BJP president Naresh Mahajan and former state BJP Yuva Morcha president Vivek Modgil leaders said as per the proposal, some of the areas added in wards did not have any direct connectivity with them