CM Suvendu hints at delimitation in West Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday hinted at the possibility of a delimitation exercise in the state, stating that the number of constituencies in the state could increase, requiring the construction of a new assembly building.
Adhikari made the remarks in the assembly after the election of Rathindra Bose as the speaker.
Addressing the House, he said the assembly infrastructure may need major changes in the coming years.
"There is a need for several reforms in the future. State government officials present here today are witnesses to this historic session. If delimitation takes place, the number of assembly seats may increase substantially. In that case, we may need to construct a new assembly building," he said.
Adhikari's remarks are being seen as significant with the Centre's attempt to push for a nationwide delimitation exercise.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats was defeated in the Lower House on April 17.
Adhikari's remarks have also triggered speculation about whether West Bengal could eventually witness a delimitation exercise similar to the one carried out in Assam in 2023.
Opposition parties in Assam had alleged that the exercise there reduced the significance of minority voters.
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Karnataka electoral roll SIR exercise to begin from June 20
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka will begin SIR of electoral rolls from June 20 as part of a nationwide exercise covering 16 states and three Union territories, CEO Anbu Kumar said on Friday.
The drive will cover more than 5.55 crore electors in the state, he said.
As per the schedule notified by the Election Commission (EC), preparation, training and printing activities will be carried out from June 20 to June 29 and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits from June 30 to July 29.
The rationalisation of polling stations is scheduled to be completed by July 29. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, following which claims and objections can be filed between August 5 and September 4.
The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue from August 5 to October 3, and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7, it said.
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Addressing a press conference here, CEO Kumar said that in Karnataka, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is fully prepared to proceed with the SIR of electoral rolls.
As part of this exercise, we have successfully mapped 86.46 per cent of our voters, he said.
"The primary objective of this entire exercise is to ensure that every eligible voter is enrolled, while simultaneously ensuring that no ineligible individuals are included in the voter list. Therefore, I seek the support and cooperation of all the voters of Karnataka, all political parties, and our friends from the media," he added.
According to the statement issued by the CEO's office, 59,050 BLOs will be involved in the SIR of the electoral roll in the state. The exercise will cover approximately 5,55,74,064 electors in the state as of May 12.
The SIR is a participative and transparent exercise involving electors, political parties and the election machinery. During the revision process, BLOs will undertake house-to-house visits for the distribution and collection of enumeration forms, the statement said.
Stating that there are currently 25,284 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by recognised political parties, the CEO urged all recognised political parties to appoint BLAs for every polling station to ensure active participation and transparency in the revision process.
Electors have been requested to cooperate with BLOs during the house-to-house distribution and collection of enumeration forms.
Further details regarding the revision process, forms and schedule will be made available on the official websites of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the Election Commission of India, the statement said.
