Date:06/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/06/stories/2006050604750400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Number of Assembly constituencies in Bangalore to go up from 12 to 18

T.S. Ranganna

Delimitation panel takes note of move to integrate six CMCs into Bangalore city

2001 Census figures being used for delimitation process
Number of reserved constituencies will go up to four

Each constituency will have between two lakh and 2.5 lakh voters

Bangalore: The Delimitation Commission, headed by the former Supreme Court judge Kuldip Singh, has proposed increasing the number of Assembly constituencies in Bangalore city from 12 to 18.

It has taken note of the move to merge the areas under the jurisdiction of six city municipal councils (CMCs) around Bangalore with the proposed Bangalore Metropolitan Corporation.

The delimitation is being done under Article 82 of the Constitution, and the Delimitation Commission demarcates the boundaries of new constituencies, be they Lok Sabha or Assembly constituencies. The 2001 Census figures are being used for the delimitation process. The commission has right now circulated its draft proposals only with regard to Assembly constituencies and not Lok Sabha constituencies.

According to the draft, the areas coming under the Anekal, Byatarayanapura, Dasarahalli, Krishnarajapuram, Bommanahalli and Pattanagere CMCs will be merged with the city proper. That will raise the number of reserved constituencies to four. They are Bangalore North, Bangalore South, Bangalore East and Anekal. Anekal is already a reserved seat.

Assembly segments, which now have names such as Rajajinagar or Chamarajpet will be numbered (Bangalore city 1, 2, and so on) or given new names. If new names are given, the constituencies of Prakash Nagar, Sevashrama, Ganesh Mandir, Austin Town, Yeshwantpur, Sadashivanagar, Mahadevapura, Kadugondanahalli and Kengeri will come into being. Prestigious constituencies, such as Jayanagar and Malleswaram, will be given numbers. Other new constituencies proposed are Krishnarajapuram, Yeshwantpur, Pattanagere, Byatarayanapura, Dasarahalli and Bommanahalli.

Infrastructure

Official sources feel that the merger of the CMC areas with the city proper will help solve the problem of infrastructure.

Care has been taken by the Delimitation Commission to ensure that the number of voters in each constituency is between two lakh and 2.5 lakh by bifurcating the vast and unwieldy constituencies of Uttarahalli and Varthur. Uttarahalli Assembly segment has more than 12 lakh voters spread over a distance of almost 35 km.

(Concluded)