CHANDIGARH, Jan 20— The administration has finalized the reservation of seven wards for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates ahead of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for December.
Based on data from the 2011 Census, these specific wards were selected due to their significant SC population, which accounts for approximately 18 percent of the city’s 10.55 lakh residents.
Officials confirmed that the total number of wards remains at 35, with no changes to the existing boundaries.
The wards now reserved for SC candidates include 1, 3, 4, 9, 15, 29, and 32. All of these seats are currently occupied by representatives from the general category, necessitating a shift in political strategy for many sitting councillors.
A draw of lots is expected to take place in April to determine which three of these seven seats will be specifically reserved for SC women.
This process will proceed once formal approval is received from the Election Commission.
The new reservation policy has prompted local political figures to begin assessing their options for the upcoming winter polls.
“The reservation based on population data is a standard administrative procedure to ensure fair representation,” a senior UT official noted during the briefing.
Aside from the SC quota, nine additional wards will be set aside for women from the general category. These nine seats will be chosen from the remaining 28 wards through a separate draw of lots.
This follows the precedent set during the 2021 elections, where a similar number of wards were designated for female candidates to maintain gender balance in the house.
