West Bengal CPM state secretary Md Salim has alleged that the ongoing delimitation of wards in several civic bodies is being conducted without uniform criteria, raising concerns over how municipal boundaries and representation are being reorganised across the state.
Speaking at a news conference at the CPM’s Darjeeling district office in Siliguri on Monday, Salim said delimitation was a political, administrative and legal exercise but was being handled as a bureaucratic process. He alleged that population, geographical location and other established yardsticks were not being followed.
“Delimitation is a political, administrative and legal exercise. But here, it is being treated as a bureaucratic exercise. No basic criteria such as population, geographical location or other established yardsticks were being followed. What we are witnessing is just ‘gerrymandering’ in the name of delimitation,” Salim said.
Gerrymandering refers to manipulating electoral constituency boundaries to give an unfair advantage to a particular political party or group. Salim did not name the BJP directly, but accused the state government of influencing the exercise. He said party representatives had asked officials to establish a proper yardstick before carrying out the delimitation process.
The CPM leader also alleged that in some cases existing areas were being divided without changing the number of wards or following basic criteria. The allegations come as the state proceeds with changes to the number of wards in several municipal corporations.
In the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, the number of wards has been increased from 144 to 209. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation is expected to have 63 wards instead of 47, while the number of wards in the Durgapur Municipal Corporation will rise from 43 to 53. In the Howrah Municipal Corporation area, the number has increased from 50 to 68. The report indicated that similar changes could be implemented in other civic bodies across the state.
Government representatives have said the ward expansion is intended to improve governance and enable better delivery of civic services. The changes will alter the administrative units through which municipal services and local representation are organised, although the report did not provide details of the criteria or notifications governing each delimitation exercise.
Salim called for broader Left unity to oppose what he described as attempts to undermine India’s diversity and alter the ideological outlook of its people. He made the remarks during a two-day organisational programme in the Darjeeling hills and plains, where he held meetings with CPM workers.
According to CPM sources, the party’s campaign will focus on the delimitation policy in different civic bodies and the ongoing eviction drive against street vendors. Salim also criticised the eviction of vendors during the festive season and said the Left Front would protest against the move.
The next stage of the civic delimitation process, including the publication of boundaries and any related administrative decisions, will determine how the proposed ward changes are implemented.
