Bengal Assembly passes delimitation Bills; Kolkata, Howrah get more wards

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly endorsed two amendment Bills on Wednesday, setting the stage for a delimitation process in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC). The KMC's ward count will rise from 144 to 209—an additional 65 wards—while HMC's ward number will increase from 50 to 68.

These amendments were adopted through a voice vote during a special one-day Assembly session. The BJP-led West Bengal government had previously announced plans to conduct civic body elections in Kolkata and Howrah by the year's end. The KMC elections are slated for this year, whereas the Howrah elections have not been held since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister Agnimitra Paul presented the Bills, stating that the restructured ward boundaries aimed to enhance the prompt delivery of civic services to residents and were driven by changes in population distribution. During the discussion, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari mentioned that the State Election Commission (SEC) would initiate the delimitation process upon the two Bills receiving the Governor's assent, with assistance from the Municipal Affairs Department, Land and Land Reforms Department, and other government agencies.

The KMC has its unique electoral framework, with the SEC responsible for drawing or delimiting the ward boundaries. Following the publication of the draft notification, a 60-day window will be granted for completing the procedure, including two all-party meetings—one prior to the draft's release and another before the final list's publication.

Rebel TMC MLA and former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim criticized the delimitation exercise, asserting that leaving the entire process to bureaucrats was a mistake. Hakim emphasized the importance of involving elected representatives in the delimitation process, stating that such involvement would have benefited the common people. He also questioned whether the new ward boundaries were being redrawn with any specific community in mind, particularly in Kolkata's growing population.

Hakim proposed that residents should have the opportunity to submit representations before the final boundaries are established, suggesting hearings for individual wards.