West Bengal Assembly Increases Municipal Wards in Kolkata and Howrah
The West Bengal assembly approved bills to expand the number of municipal wards in Kolkata and Howrah. This delimitation aims to create smaller wards with fewer residents to improve the delivery of civic services.
Key takeaways
- The West Bengal assembly passed two bills increasing municipal wards in Kolkata and Howrah.
- Kolkata will have 209 wards (up from 144) and Howrah will have 68 (up from 50).
- The delimitation aims to create smaller wards for faster civic service delivery.
- Municipal elections in these cities are scheduled for later this year.
The West Bengal assembly has passed two legislative bills that will increase the number of municipal wards in two major cities. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will see its wards grow from 144 to 209, while the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) will expand from 50 to 68 wards.
State urban development and municipal affairs minister Agnimitra Paul stated that the delimitation process is based on population figures and is intended to result in smaller wards. This change is expected to facilitate quicker delivery of civic services to residents.
An exercise to redraw ward boundaries in Kolkata based on population density was initiated in mid-July, with the goal of creating new wards each containing approximately 16,000 to 18,000 voters. A similar process was also started in Howrah.
Elections for both municipal bodies are anticipated later this year, alongside district-level counterparts.
The delimitation exercise could potentially benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming municipal elections, which are tentatively scheduled for November or December. This comes as the party has seen an increase in its control over Kolkata's assembly seats since the 2021 KMC elections.
Current ward sizes vary significantly, with some having as few as 8,000 to 10,000 voters, while others in areas with large Muslim populations can contain 50,000 to 60,000 voters. One official cited Ward 66, represented by a TMC councillor, as having around 80,000 voters and covering areas like Topsia, Tangra, and Tiljala.
The political landscape for the KMC polls may also be affected by a split within the Trinamool Congress (TMC). A dispute over the party's election symbol and funds is leading to contests between Mamata Banerjee's loyalists and a rebel faction. A spokesperson for the rebel TMC group suggested that the Mamata Banerjee-led faction might face challenges in the elections, citing the departure of numerous MLAs and Lok Sabha members. The Election Commission of India is expected to determine which faction constitutes the authentic TMC before the November elections.
Sources reviewed
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