West Bengal Assembly passes delimitation bills for Kolkata, Howrah civic bodies

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) passed two bills that pave the way for delimitation of wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC). The bills were passed during a special session of the Assembly.

Under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, the number of wards in the Kolkata municipal area will increase from 144 to 209, and in the Howrah municipal area from 50 to 68. The population of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is estimated at 6.7 million, while that of Howrah Municipal Corporation is estimated at 1.6 million. Delimitation is the process of redrawing electoral ward boundaries to reflect population changes and ensure equitable representation. The increase of 65 wards in Kolkata represents a about 45 per cent expansion, while Howrah's wards rise by 18, or 36 per cent.

The special session was convened to consider the bills, which are seen as a precursor to the municipal elections expected later this year. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking on the amendment bills, said the legislation passed by the Assembly only dealt with increasing the number of wards. The actual delimitation would be undertaken subsequently by the State Election Commission (SEC). He added that people would have an opportunity to air their grievances, and at least two all-party meetings would be held to discuss the process.

Former Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim, a rebel Trinamool Congress MLA aligned with Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, said he was not opposing the reorganisation and delimitation of wards in principle. However, he said it should be made clear on what policy or criteria the process was being carried out. “It should also be made clear whether the boundaries of the new wards are being altered by targeting any particular community,” Mr. Hakim said, raising questions about the political motive behind the delimitation exercise and the increase of 65 wards in Kolkata. Similar concerns were raised by another Kolkata MLA, Javed Khan, who has also joined the rebel camp of the Trinamool Congress led by Mr. Banerjee.

Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Agnimitra Paul, who introduced both bills, defended the decision to increase the number of wards, saying the move was aimed at improving civic services. “The previous governments did not do work for improving the civic facilities,” Ms. Paul told media persons. MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party who participated in the discussion raised questions about uneven distribution of voters in certain wards of Kolkata and Howrah.

The passage of the bills comes at a time when most civic bodies in the State have turned defunct. After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in West Bengal in May 2026, there has been a mass resignation of councillors across civic bodies. All councillors of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation have resigned, leaving the largest civic body of the State under the administration of a civil servant. Similar situations prevail in municipal bodies across the State, where elected councils have ceased to function. The government aims to complete the delimitation exercise before civic polls, which are expected to be held by the end of the year.

The government maintains that the increase in wards is aimed at more efficient administration and better civic services. Opposition lawmakers, however, have demanded clear disclosure of the criteria for redrawing boundaries and have asked whether any specific community is being targeted. These issues are expected to be taken up in the all-party meetings announced by the Chief Minister. The State Election Commission will carry out the actual delimitation process, and the government has said it will ensure consultations with all stakeholders.

The delimitation exercise is a significant step towards restoring elected governance in the two municipal corporations, both of which are currently without elected councils. The process will determine the electoral boundaries for the upcoming civic polls, and the final ward map is expected to be published after the all-party meetings and public hearings.