The West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday passed two amendment Bills that will trigger a delimitation exercise for the Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporations by increasing the number of wards in both cities.
Change in ward strength
By a voice vote during a special one-day session, the House approved the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026. The alterations raise the number of wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) from 144 to 209 — an increase of 65 wards — and in Howrah Municipal Corporation from 50 to 68 — an addition of 18 wards.
| Municipal body | Wards before | Wards after | Net increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolkata Municipal Corporation | 144 | 209 | 65 |
| Howrah Municipal Corporation | 50 | 68 | 18 |
Government rationale and timeline
Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul told the House the restructuring was intended to facilitate faster delivery of civic services and respond to changes in population distribution. The Bills were tabled as the state prepares for municipal elections in both cities.
"The restructuring of wards was aimed at ensuring faster delivery of civic services to residents," the minister said.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that once the Governor gives assent, the State Election Commission (SEC) will initiate the delimitation exercise with assistance from the Municipal Affairs Department, the Land and Land Reforms Department and other agencies. He outlined a process that will include publication of a draft notification and a 60-day period for completing the procedure, together with two all-party meetings — the first before the draft is published and the second prior to the final list being released.
Electoral context
The state government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has said it will hold civic polls in Kolkata and Howrah by the end of this year. The KMC poll is slated for this year; Howrah has not held municipal elections since 2020, when polls were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The passage of the amendment Bills is a prerequisite to formal delimitation, a legally prescribed process that re-draws ward boundaries to reflect demographic shifts. The SEC will conduct the technical exercise of redrawing boundaries and notifying changes.
Procedure and stakeholder engagement
The Chief Minister indicated that the SEC’s work will be supported by state departments and that there will be consultation with political parties through two all-party meetings during the exercise. The 60-day window after the draft notification provides statutory time for objections and suggestions before the final list is issued.
- Departments involved: Municipal Affairs, Land and Land Reforms, and other government agencies.
- Public engagement: Draft notification, 60-day period for completion; two all-party meetings as part of consultations.
- Electoral impact: New ward boundaries will apply to upcoming municipal elections once finalized.
Local implications
The expansion of ward numbers in Kolkata and Howrah will affect administrative jurisdictions, local representation and resource allocation at the grass-roots level. For residents, changes may mean reassignment to different ward offices, new councillor constituencies and potential shifts in the delivery points for civic services.
Political parties and civic groups will now focus on the delimitation maps and contest the SEC’s draft proposals in the statutory window. Redrawing wards can alter electoral arithmetic in many neighbourhoods — a factor that councillors, aspirants and party strategists will scrutinise closely.
What to expect next
With the Bills now on their way for the Governor’s assent, the SEC is expected to move to the drafting stage with departmental inputs. Citizens and stakeholders should watch for the publication of the draft notification and the announcement of the two all-party meetings to ensure representations are made within the prescribed timelines.
As Kolkata — the city of adda, tramlines and layered civic institutions — prepares for a significantly larger ward map, municipal administration and political dynamics in both cities are set for a substantive recalibration ahead of the upcoming polls.
