The West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday passed two amendment Bills, paving the way for delimitation in Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporations by increasing the number of wards. The number of wards in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been increased from 144 to 209 – an increase of 65; and in Howrah, it has been increased by 18— from 50 to 68 wards.
The two Bills – Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Howrah Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026 — were passed by a voice vote during the special one-day Assembly session.
The new BJP government in the state had earlier announced that it would hold the civic body elections in Kolkata and Howrah by the end of this year. While the KMC poll is scheduled for this year, elections to the Howrah Municipal Corporation have not been held since 2020, when the country was in the grip of Covid pandemic.
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Tabling the Bills in the House, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said the restructuring of wards was aimed at “ensuring faster delivery of civic services to residents”, and added that the decision was prompted by “changes in population distribution”.
Last month, she had announced the formation of two high-powered committees for the delimitation of the wards under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while taking part in the discussion, said that after the Governor’s assent to the two Bills, the State Election Commission (SEC) will begin the delimitation exercise with the help of the Municipal Affairs Department, Land and Land Reforms Department, and other government agencies.
“The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has its own law. The Election Commission will undertake the process of redrawing or delimiting ward boundaries. Once the draft notification is published, there will be a 60-day period for completing the procedure. Two all-party meetings will also be convened – the first before publication of the draft and the second, before the final list is released,” Adhikari said.
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Rebel TMC MLA and former mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim said that it would be a mistake to leave the entire process of delimiting the wards “solely in the hands of bureaucrats”.
“I am not opposing the reorganisation of wards in principle. But it should be made clear on what policy or criteria the entire process is being carried out,” Hakim said.
“Elected representatives should also have been involved here. That would have benefited the common people… Just as during the Election Commission’s SIR (Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls), BLOs along with political party representatives (BLAs) were involved, similarly elected representatives should also be involved in the delimitation exercise. It would have been beneficial for ordinary people,” said Hamik, who was Urban Development Minister in the previous TMC government.
Questioning the BJP government’s move to add 65 new wards in Kolkata civic body, the former mayor said, “It should be made clear whether the boundaries of these new wards are being redrawn by targeting any particular community.”
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Questioning the proposed creation of 65 additional wards in Kolkata, Hakim also sought clarity on whether the boundaries were being altered with any particular community in mind.
“It should also be made clear whether the boundaries of the new wards are being altered by targeting any particular community,” he said.
Khan said Kolkata’s present population justified more than 209 wards and cautioned the government against using the delimitation exercise for any narrow political purpose.
He also cited the “abnormal rise” in the population in south Kolkata and Jadavpur areas. He argued that instead of drawing boundaries in a blanket manner, applications and suggestions should first be taken from the public.
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He suggested that residents should be allowed to submit representations before the boundaries are finalised and advocated hearings for individual wards.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
