Complaints against delimitation process of local bodies in Thrissur district

Instead of doing delimitation on the basis of population, the division is made according to the number of houses, says the Opposition Leader in Thrissur Corporation. He calls the move illegal

There have been numerous protests against the delimitation process of local bodies in the district. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have raised concerns, claiming that the ward delimitation was done in an unscientific manner and was influenced by the political interests of the Left parties.

Opposition Leader in the Thrissur Corporation Rajan J. Pallan has alleged that the division of wards in the Corporation was carried out under the leadership of an official who retired from the Corporation, and that the process was orchestrated at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] party office. He said the division was done in the same manner that CPI(M) representatives had suggested a year ago.

Instead of doing the delimitation on the basis of population, the division was made according to the number of houses, which Mr. Pallan claimed was illegal. He pointed out that instead of dividing the wards based on major roads, hills, rivers, or natural boundaries, small lanes were used as borders in a politically motivated manner, with areas artificially merged or divided.

Mr. Pallan further criticised the fact that, in comparison to the population, the difference between some divisions exceeded the permissible 10% margin, with 13 divisions having a disproportionate number of people. He called this process illegal.

Mr. Pallan said that after consulting with the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and the District Congress leadership, necessary legal action will be taken against the move.

BJP’s stand

BJP district president K.K. Anish Kumar also opposed the delimitation, accusing the CPI(M) of misusing its power to gain political advantage during the process. He stated that instead of considering geographical boundaries or characteristics, the division was solely based on the interests of the CPI(M). This, he warned, would negatively impact the development of local bodies. The BJP further stated that it would pursue legal action if the complaints are not addressed properly.

Published - November 20, 2024 08:49 pm IST