Pushing boundaries: As elections near, states on a district-formation spree

Now, the government is contemplating the addition of at least 20 more districts to its existing 23

Last week, the Congress government in election-bound Rajasthan created 17 new districts, bringing the total number of districts in the state to 50. In April 2022, the YSR Congress Party-led Andhra Pradesh government established 13 new districts, expanding the count to 26 in the southern state, which was bifurcated in 2014.

With elections approaching, several state governments, including those of Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, have announced the creation of new districts. In the previous year, the West Bengal Cabinet expressed its intention to establish seven new districts. However, this proposal could not be executed due to various reasons, such as