Tika Ram Jully slams ward delimitation in Jaipur, calls it 'a blow to democracy'

Jaipur, Sep 19 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Tika Ram Jully, has raised serious concerns over the recent delimitation of wards in Jaipur Municipal Corporation, alleging that the process was politically motivated and aimed at weakening democratic representation in opposition-held areas.

In a statement, Jully described the delimitation as a "conspiracy to suit political calculations" by the BJP-led state government. He said the decision to merge the two municipal corporations of Jaipur and reduce the number of wards was taken with political intent, not administrative rationale.

"State government has implemented the new delimitation by merging the two municipal corporations of Jaipur for political gain. Whether or not this provides relief to the BJP, the common people will definitely face difficulties." Jully stated that the increasing sprawl of Jaipur and the decreasing number of wards are not practical in any way.

In the new delimitation, there were some wards where the BJP suffered a crushing defeat. Major changes have been made to more than 15 wards falling under the existing three assembly constituencies of the Heritage Municipal Corporation, he said adding, that the BJP is pursuing a hidden agenda in the country, which will weaken the constitutional structure of the country.

“The city is expanding rapidly, yet the number of wards has been reduced. This will only create governance challenges and reduce accessibility to civic services for the common people,” Jully said.

He pointed out that more than 15 wards under the previous Heritage Municipal Corporation, where the BJP had suffered electoral defeats, have undergone major boundary changes. According to him, this move unfairly targets areas represented by the Congress.

Jully also highlighted the disproportionate allocation of wards across assembly constituencies. He said that out of the 10 assembly constituencies covered under the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, the three represented by Congress MLAs have been allocated only 28 wards, while the rest—represented by BJP MLAs—have 122 wards under the new delimitation.

“This is a clear attempt to reduce representation in opposition strongholds and tilt the balance in favor of the ruling party,” he alleged.

Providing a breakdown, Jully stated that Adarsh Nagar has been reduced from 25 to 17 wards, Kishanpole from 21 to 12, and Hawamahal from 26 to 15.

He called the move unjust and undemocratic, and urged civil society and democratic institutions to raise their voices.

“This is not about urban governance; it is a deliberate political strategy that undermines the very foundation of local democracy,” Jully concluded.

--IANS

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