Punjab BJP Calls Governor on ‘Illegal Ward Delimitation’

January 2, 2026

Chandigarh — The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday called on Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to intervene against what it alleges is an illegal and arbitrary ward delimitation exercise by the state government for urban local bodies. A high-level BJP delegation led by Ashwani Sharma, MLA and Punjab BJP working state president, submitted a detailed memorandum seeking constitutional oversight.

The BJP has claimed that the ongoing ward delimitation process for Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils across Punjab is being carried out with “undue haste” and “without transparency,” allegedly violating **statutory rules and constitutional principles.”

Allegations of Rule Violations

In its memorandum, the BJP asserted that no proper door-to-door population survey was conducted prior to drafting the new boundaries, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the data used. It also alleged violations of core delimitation principles like continuity and contiguity, noting that geographically disconnected areas appear to have been combined arbitrarily.

The party further accused the state government of misusing reservation norms, saying some wards with lower Scheduled Caste and Backward Class populations were reserved, while others with higher concentrations were classified as general wards — a move it labelled “irregular and unjust.”

Census Guidelines Invoked

The BJP drew attention to Census notifications tied to the 16th Census of India, which mandate the freezing of municipal and ward boundaries during census operations. These notifications, issued under the authority of the Governor, are intended to ensure delimitation exercises are based on verified population data. The party charged that this requirement was ignored.

Request to Governor

In light of these concerns, the BJP delegation urged the Governor to obtain the complete record from the Department of Local Government and direct the state government to strictly adhere to census guidelines, statutory requirements, and constitutional norms. It argued that safeguarding the fairness of delimitation is essential to uphold democratic values and protect the rights of citizens.

The matter is expected to escalate as both political parties prepare for upcoming local elections, with delimitation outcomes directly impacting electoral constituencies and political representation.