BHUBANESWAR: The number of seats reserved for OBC candidates in Urban Elections in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction is likely to come down to 18 this time as compared to 19 in the previous elections.
The BMC has submitted its ward delimitation and seat reservation report to the Housing and Urban Development department as part of the preparations for the ULB polls next year. As Bhubaneswar has 67 wards, the Committee formed to prepare the report for the civic body is said to have recommended the number of seats to be reserved for candidates belonging to SC category at 6, ST category at 3 and OBC at 18. Fifty per cent of seats in each of the three categories will be reserved for women.
Similarly, of the remaining 40 general seats, the civic body has recommended 20 seats to be reserved for women. Sources said the BMC has not proposed any changes in the total number of wards which is 67 at present. However, jurisdiction of some of the wards has been changed, particularly for wards 1 to 50, to divide all the wards among the three Assembly constituencies of the city. Ward jurisdiction has been changed after inclusion of voters of six mouzas - Patrapada, Bhagabanpur, Subudhipur, Paikarapur and Shankarpur and Gadakana - in BMC jurisdiction. These mouzas of Bhubaneswar block were brought under BMC jurisdiction after 2014 and will be taking part in the ULB polls for the first time.
After ward delimitation, Bhubaneswar Central Constituency which had 21 wards earlier will now have 19 wards. Ward no 45 and 48 which were earlier under Central and Ekamra Constituencies, have now been brought entirely under Ekamra Constituency.