Rajasthan government free to undertake delimitation exercise: EC

JAIPUR: Even as the BJP raised a hue and cry over the government decision to delimit the wards of local bodies, the state election commission said that the government is free to undertake the delimitation exercise.
Commissioner Rajasthan state election commission Prem Singh Mehra said as per the rules of the Rajasthan Local Bodies Act, the state government is empowered to take a decision on the delimitation of the wards of local bodies.He said in some states the state election commission is tasked with the delimitation as well as the conduct of the elections. But in Rajasthan, according to the rules, the power to delimit the wards rests with the government. The commission’s role is limited to the conduct of the polls on time.
Former state election commissioner Ram Lubhaya said the ultimate power to decide on the delimitation of wards rests with the government and the committee only has recommendatory powers under the Municipalities Act, 2009. The previous BJP government too had brought in changes like introducing the minimum education qualification criteria in municipal and panchayat bodies in a similar manner, they pointed out. The state election commission said it is for the local bodies to decide on such issues, while the commission’s role is to hold elections as per schedule.
The government argument is that the delimitation has been effected based on 2011 Census to broad base representation at the grassroots level. But the BJP leaders pointed out that the same exercise was carried out in 2014 before the last local bodies elections. The new notification has only added to the political temperature in the state.