Amid the Centre forming a panel to carry out a fresh delimitation of municipal wards in Delhi, the national capital may not see civic polls for another year, say experts.
Earlier, the polls were slated to be held in April in 2022, but were deferred as the three municipal corporations were united into a sole civic body, coming into existence on May 2022.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on 9 July issued a statement saying the Union Home Ministry has set up a three-member commission to carry out the delimitation of the municipal wards in Delhi.
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The exercise will pave the way for civic polls in Delhi, which would be the first since the reunification of three corporations in May.
However, former Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta said delimitation is an “extensive exercise” and may take a year or a year-and-a-half.
“Besides, public can raise objections and public representatives can also approach the commission with suggestions. So, I don’t foresee an election at least for a year from now,” he said.
On the expected timeline how soon the delimitation exercise can be conducted, Mehta said, “It took me a year-and-a-half to do it, when I was the state election commissioner,” he added.
Union Home Ministry has selected Vijay Dev, State Election Commissioner, Delhi, to chair the delimitation panel, with Pankaj Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary in Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Randhir Sahay, Additional Commissioner, MCD, as its other two members.
The order issued by the MHA on July 8, a copy of which was shared by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter on Saturday. The commission is to complete the exercise and present its report within four months of the issue of the order.
With PTI inputs.
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