Delimitation commission: How will panel work when no. of wards not decided, says CM

New Delhi: The BJP's Delhi unit on Saturday welcomed the setting up of a three-member commission to carry out a delimitation exercise of municipal wards here, saying it believes in democratic politics, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wondered how the panel will work when the number of wards in the capital has not been declared yet.

The AAP also dubbed the setting up of a delimitation commission as an "eyewash" and alleged that it is yet another "tactic" of the BJP-led Centre to further delay the municipal polls in the capital. The Delhi unit of the Congress accused the AAP and the BJP of delaying MCD elections and also expressed its disagreement with the delimitation exercise.

It, however, said the civic body polls should be held so that the work of the common people does not suffer.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set up a three-member commission for carrying out a fresh delimitation exercise of the municipal wards in Delhi, according to a statement issued by the MCD on Saturday.

The exercise will pave the way for the civic polls in Delhi, which would be the first since the recent reunification of the city's three corporations.

In a tweet in Hindi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "We are happy that the Centre has constituted a committee for the delimitation exercise of MCD wards. But no orders have been issued on the number of wards in Delhi. Then, how will this committee work?"

Echoing similar views, newly elected Rajinder Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak, who is also the Aam Aadmi Party's MCD in-charge, called the formation of committee a "hoax".

"The order is just a hoax. The Centre has to first decide on the number of wards in Delhi. After that, the work of the commission will start. How will this commission work without the fixing of the number of wards?" he tweeted in Hindi.