The shadow of yet another postponement is once again falling over Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Even as the city gears up for the next round of civic polls, the long-overdue process of ward delimitation and expansion remains stalled — a delay that has now stretched for an entire decade.
Political circles in the state capital are abuzz with speculation that the elections could be pushed back once more because the crucial exercise of redrawing ward boundaries has not been completed. Sources indicate that the number and limits of wards in Bhubaneswar and other urban local bodies across Odisha will be finalised only after the national census. However, in Bhubaneswar’s case, this process has been repeatedly deferred despite rapid population growth and the emergence of new residential colonies and apartment complexes.
Residents have been complaining for years that while the city’s population has surged and new areas have been added, the number of BMC wards has remained frozen. The previous BJD government had initiated the process but failed to execute it. Now, questions are being raised about how quickly the new government will take it forward and implement the much-needed restructuring.
The last BMC elections were held in 2013-14. Their five-year term ended in 2018-19. Following the 2019 general elections, the civic body remained under an administrator until the 2022 municipal polls. Shockingly, even after two general elections and one municipal election cycle, ward expansion and delimitation were never carried out. As preparations for the next municipal elections begin, the absence of fresh ward boundaries continues to raise serious concerns about another possible delay.
Reacting sharply to the situation, Bhubaneswar North MLA and BJD’s Bhubaneswar organisational district president Susant Kumar Rout said, “We have only been hearing about ward reconstruction during two general elections. In between, one municipal election was held and their term is now coming to an end. Yet, no visible steps have been taken for ward expansion. Now administrative officials are citing delays in the census. If ward expansion finally happens, many panchayats will also be merged into the municipal corporation. This could impact both municipal and panchayat elections.”
Between the general and municipal elections, BMC functioned under an administrator appointed after the 2019 polls were delayed. Citizens argue that with the city’s population rising sharply and new settlements coming up, redrawing of ward boundaries is essential to ensure equitable distribution of basic services such as drinking water, roads, streetlights and other civic amenities.
While the new government has been highlighting its focus on urban development, people in Bhubaneswar are asking a pointed question: When will the long-pending ward expansion and boundary demarcation — a prerequisite for fair and timely municipal elections — finally be carried out in the state capital?
