{
  "id": 18625859,
  "title": "Calcutta High Court restrains KMC polls until challenge on delimitation decided",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/calcutta-high-court-restrains-kmc-polls-until-challenge-on",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T03:02:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/calcutta-high-court-restrains-kmc-polls-until-challenge-on-delimitation-decided/article71675339.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Calcutta High Court on October 6, 2026, issued an order restraining the West Bengal State Election Commission from issuing notifications for upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, based on newly redrawn wards, until a pending challenge to the delimitation process is resolved. The West Bengal government had enacted legislation on August 12 that increased the number of KMC wards from 144 to 209. Former councillor Dipu Das challenged the delimitation exercise before the Calcutta High Court. The court's Division Bench, comprising Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Arjun Ray Mukherjee, ordered the State Election Commission to refrain from issuing any election notification based on the amended Schedule II of the KMC Act, pending the outcome of the challenge.",
  "summary": "The West Bengal government, through a delimitation, has increased the number of wards of KMC from 144 to 209. The petitioner argued that the State government and its agencies have resorted to gerrymandering in order to secure partisan advantage to the ruling political party in West Bengal on the premise of previous electoral results.",
  "key_points": [
    "Calcutta High Court issues restraining order on October 6, 2026",
    "West Bengal government increased KMC wards from 144 to 209",
    "Challenge to delimitation process pending decision"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "‘Absence of direct evidence… cannot be decisive’: Rajasthan High Court upholds UAPA charges in Kanhaiya Lal murder case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/absence-of-direct-evidence-cannot-be-decisive-rajasthan-high-court",
        "published": "2026-11-07T01:32:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Kerala High Court gives NORKA six weeks to review expatriates’ complaint over insurance hike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/kerala-high-court-gives-norka-six-weeks-to-review-expatriates",
        "published": "2026-11-07T02:40:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}