Delimitation still dogged by charges of oversight and bias

Kerala's final notification on ward delimitation for urban local bodies has ignited a political storm, with the United Democratic Front threatening legal action over alleged inaccuracies and procedural lapses. The UDF contends that the revised boundaries, based on the 2011 Census, contain significant errors that remain unaddressed despite multiple objections.
The delimitation exercise, approved by the commission chaired by State Election Commissioner A Shajahan, restructured wards across 86 municipalities and six municipal corporations. This led to the addition of 128 new wards in municipalities and seven in corporations, bringing the total to 3,241 municipal wards and 421 corporation wards. The changes were implemented to align with population data, setting municipalities to have between 26 and 53 wards, and corporations between 56 and 101.
However, the UDF has raised concerns about the accuracy of the delimitation, citing instances where building numbers and boundaries were allegedly misrepresented. In Kannur's Naduvil, for example, the UDF filed 20 objections regarding building numbers, while the Left Democratic Front raised 13 objections concerning boundaries. Despite assurances that all complaints would be considered, the commission maintained that ward boundaries would remain unchanged.
The opposition argues that such decisions undermine the democratic process and could lead to gerrymandering. They claim that the commission's refusal to adjust boundaries despite valid objections reflects a disregard for transparency and fairness. The UDF has indicated plans to challenge the notification in the High Court, asserting that the delimitation process was rushed and lacked proper consultation.
Adding to the controversy, the Kerala High Court previously quashed the ward delimitation in eight municipalities and one panchayat, citing procedural irregularities. This precedent bolsters the UDF's position that the current delimitation process may not withstand judicial scrutiny.
The State Election Commission has announced that Electoral Registration Officers will prepare revised voter lists based on the new ward structures. Training for EROs is scheduled to conclude by June 5, with a separate notification for voter list revision to follow. Polling stations will be reorganized accordingly to reflect updated voter data. Open URL