Draft for reserved constituencies published in Darjeeling

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 17 January 2020 | Darjeeling: The draft of constituencies reserved for SC, tribes and women for the forthcoming civic polls in Darjeeling and Siliguri was published on Friday. Deepap Priya P, District Magistrate, Darjeeling and also the district Municipal Election Officer, published the draft.

"The draft will be taken up for consideration after two weeks from this day and any objection or suggestion with respect thereto, which may be received by the undersigned before this date, shall be duly considered," stated the order.

In the Darjeeling Municipality, 3 constituencies (9, 27, 32) out of 32 have been reserved for SC, with 7 for ST (8, 10, 14, 19, 20, 24 and 28) and 7 for general women (3, 6, 12, 16, 21, 25 and 30). Out of the constituencies reserved for SC and ST, 1 is reserved for SC women (9) and 3 for ST women (10, 20 and 28).

In the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, 6 constituencies (2, 5, 21, 23, 34 and 37) out of 47 have been reserved for SC, with 1 for ST (42) and 13 for general women (3, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 24, 27, 30, 33, 38, 41 and 45). Out of the constituencies reserved for SC, 3 are reserved for women (2, 5 and 34).

Incidentally, an impasse had occurred in the Darjeeling Municipality since May 29, 2019, with a group of councillors submitting a memorandum to chairperson Prativa Rai Tamang, asking her to prove her majority. They claimed that they had 17 councillors with them in the existing house of 30, with the board owing allegiance to the Binay Tamang faction of GJM.

Later, the councillors who had tried to bring the motion of no-confidence, stopped attending office. They were not seen in town and went underground.

The 17 councillors suddenly resurfaced in Delhi on June 8, where they joined BJP in the presence of senior BJP leaders. Since then, they had been camping in Delhi.

Finally on June 18, 2019, the Darjeeling Municipality was dissolved and an administrator was appointed, vide an order from the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department.