Summary:
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday alleged there are “flaws” in the draft report of the Delimitation Committee for MCD wards and that it “violates” the established norms.
Addressing the media, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid alleged that the draft report on the delimitation exercise for the wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seemed to have been done to “neglect some particular communities” and “favour the BJP”.
“The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated taking into consideration the growth of Delhi, and to take care of the interest of the people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has merged the MCDs to serve its political agenda,” he alleged. He further said that Delhi Congress has taken up its objections and suggestions with the chairman of the Delimitation Committee.
He said the draft report was prepared “in violation of the guidelines” given for the delimitation of the MCD wards. “Partiality and flaws in the draft report raise a big question on the democratic process followed.
The Congress party carried out evaluation and discussions on the draft report with its party workers and submitted its conclusions to the chairman of the Delimitation Committee,” Khurshid said.
The senior Congress leader also mentioned that it has “not yet been explained why the wards were reduced” from 272 to 250 and on what basis. “When the guidelines given to the Delimitation Committee had stipulated that each ward should have a population of 65,000 with a 10 per cent minus-plus variation, how did the panel allow 80,000 plus population in 32 wards and 10 per cent less population in 80 wards?” he asked.
Party"s state president Anil Kumar said the Delhi Congress wants the delimitation exercise to be done “in accordance with justice and democratic norms”.
“If the delimitation exercise is not done in accordance with rules and regulations, Congress workers will come out on the streets to protest till the Delimitation Committee acts in a fair manner,” he added.