Ambala: The Ambala City Municipal Corporation (MC) is facing a potential legal hurdle ahead of its next general elections, as its officially recorded population reportedly fell short of the statutory minimum of 3 lakh required for the existence of a municipal corporation under Haryana law. According to data available on the website of the Haryana Urban Local Bodies Department, the current population of Ambala City MC is shown as 2,57,765, which is 42,235 less than the legally mandated threshold of 3 lakh. In contrast, the population of Ambala Sadar Municipal Council is listed as 2,70,031, around 12,266 higher than that of the city’s municipal corporation. Notably, municipal elections in Ambala Sadar were held in March 2025.The 5-year term of the outgoing Ambala City MC house ended on Jan 13, and from Jan 14, IAS officer Virender Lather, the Municipal Commissioner, administered the corporation as administrator until the first meeting of the newly elected house is convened. Preparations for the next municipal elections were initiated by the Urban Local Bodies Department last year. A notification issued on September 4, 2025, redefined 20 wards for Ambala City MC, with reservations for women, Scheduled Castes, and Backward Classes. The delimitation process was completed in the last week of December 2025, followed by a notification on January 14 regarding ward-wise reservations. Subsequently, on January 22, the mayor’s post was reserved for Backward Class-B (Woman) through a draw.High court advocate and municipal law expert Hemant Kumar, a resident of Sector 7, Ambala City, pointed out a major discrepancy in official population figures. He stated that a gazette notification dated Sept 4, 2025, recorded Ambala City MC’s population as 2,71,068, but as per data updated till October 23, 2025, the figure dropped sharply by over 13,000 to 2,57,765, a matter he termed “serious and worthy of investigation”. He added that the data source is the state’s Citizen Resources Information Department.Citing Section 3(2) proviso of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, Hemant Kumar stressed that a minimum population of 3 lakh is mandatory for the establishment and continuation of a municipal corporation. Since AMC’s population, as per the latest official data, is significantly below this limit, he warned that the legal existence of the Ambala Municipal Corporation itself could be questioned, potentially entangling the upcoming elections in litigation. Hemant Kumar also highlighted that when the number of wards was fixed at 20 on July 29, 2020, Ambala City MC’s population was officially shown as 3,03,850. He underlined that no urban area was excluded from MC limits in the past 5 years, making the sharp population decline even more puzzling.Despite writing to the governor of Haryana, chief minister, Urban Local Bodies minister, senior departmental officials, Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, and State Election Commissioner Devender Singh Kalyan, Hemant Kumar said no concrete action was taken so far. He asserted that the top priority should be to officially ascertain and ensure that Ambala City MC’s population meets the minimum 3 lakh requirement, so that its legal status remains intact and the democratic process is not jeopardised.MSID: 128210368 413 |
