Elections for panchayats and other local bodies are scheduled to take place in Tamil Nadu on December 27 and 30, with counting scheduled for January 2. However, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) says that elections cannot be conducted while formalities related to the delimitation exercise remain incomplete.
Delimitation refers to a reorganization exercise where the boundaries of various constituencies are redrawn due to a variety of administrative reasons such as creation of new districts, an increase in population, difficulty in administration etc. Sometimes, bigger constituencies are split into smaller ones.
In Tamil Nadu the demand for delimitation was raised after the creation of five new districts; Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Chengalpet. DMK chief Stalin told reporters on Friday, “The Tamil Nadu government has not done ward delimitation until now, as per the High Court’s directions. The state government has not carried out delimitation in the wards in newly-created districts. The AIADMK government is yet to implement reservation for women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across town panchayats, district panchayats, municipalities and corporations. This is the status as of now.”
Therefore, it is not just about delimitation, but also about seat reservations for the new constituencies. This is important as it ensures representation for backward and marginalized communities as well as ensures more women candidates stand for elections. Moreover, if delimitation is conducted without clarity, there is scope for gerrymandering i.e a method to redraw constituencies always ensuring that a majority of the voters in it are loyal to one particular party.
It is noteworthy that local body elections have not taken place in TN for the last three years! The DMK moved Supreme Court demanding a stay on the elections and praying that the TN state government be directed to conduct ward delimitation exercise. On Monday, the SC agreed to hear the DMK’s plea on December 5. The CPI has also backed the DMK’s plea. However, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) claims, that is just a ploy by the DMK to stall the elections.
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