Mohali, Dec. 21 -- The ward delimitation board for the upcoming Mohali municipal corporation (MC) elections on Saturday approved the draft plan for redrawing ward boundaries, retaining the total number of wards at 50, the same as in the last civic polls. The draft report will now be forwarded to the Punjab government for final notification, expected within the next week, deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said. As per the approved draft, each of the 50 wards will comprise approximately 4,000 to 4,500 voters. The exercise was carried out following the Punjab government's recent notification regarding the expansion of Mohali MC limits. Newly developing areas such as Aerocity, IT City, Sectors 81 and 82, along with a few villages, have been included in the ward delimitation draft. Residents of these areas will vote in the civic body polls for the first time. The reservation pattern has also been outlined in the plan. Of the 50 wards, three will be reserved for scheduled caste (male) candidates, two for scheduled caste (female) candidates, and two for backward classes. Additionally, 50% of the total wards will be reserved for women candidates, in line with statutory provisions. The ward delimitation board met on Saturday to discuss and approve the draft. Members included deputy commissioner Komal Mittal, municipal corporation commissioner Parminder Pal Singh Sandhu, and several other officials. From the ruling Congress side, mayor Amarjit Singh Jeeti Sidhu and councillors Jaspreet Singh Gill and Kamalpreet Singh Banni were board members. In the mayor's absence, senior deputy mayor Amrik Singh Somal and deputy mayor Kuljeet Singh Bedi were nominated. AAP MLA Kulwant Singh, along with councillors Aruna Sharma and Gurmeet Kaur, also participated. However, the Congress mayor and councillors boycotted the meeting, alleging procedural lapses. Mayor Sidhu said that, as per rules, a written notice for a ward delimitation board meeting must be issued at least 10 days in advance. "I received the invitation just a day before the meeting. No prior information was shared regarding the inclusion of new areas, population details, or other features. Along with fellow councillors, we will approach the local government department to demand that the meeting be postponed as per law. We may also approach the court," he said. Mohali's political landscape has shifted significantly over the past five years. In the February 2020 municipal corporation elections, Congress had dominated the civic body, winning 38 of the 50 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured eight seats and four went to independents. The mayor and councillors were sworn in March 2020. However, the balance of power changed in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, when AAP swept all three Assembly seats in the district. With the ward delimitation process now moving towards final notification, preparations are underway for the next civic body elections in Mohali, expected in February or March 2026. The Punjab government is yet to officially notify the election schedule....