Kerala Governor unlikely to sign ward delimitation bill

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala governor will probably withhold the two bills passed by the legislative assembly for ward delimitation. According to the governor, the bill does not comply with the rules that the division of wards should be based on the latest census and an equal population ratio should be followed.

The bills were passed in five minutes without leaving it to the subject committee and without discussing it in the assembly. With local elections due next year, the governor feels that the bills were passed for political reasons. Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan has also written to the Governor, beseeching him not to sign the bills.

Population growth is presently impossible to estimate since the census was not taken during 2021 due to the pandemic. The bill will bring in reforms to add one additional ward to each LSGI. The governor feels an abnormality in the haste in the formation of commissions even before the bills become law. Before the bills were brought to the Raj Bhavan, the state election commissioner A. Shahjahan formed the delimitation commission as the chairman. The government has informed the Raj Bhavan about starting the initial procedures as the ward division will take a year to complete. Steps have been taken to open an office for the commission and to place a secretary and staff on deputation.