The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s draft electoral roll, covering more than 32 lakh voters across 209 wards, was published on Monday, giving residents their first opportunity to identify their new ward after a major delimitation exercise. The notification for the municipal election is likely to be issued on November 2, with polling expected in the last week of November.
The delimitation exercise has increased the number of KMC wards from 144 to 209. According to a state official cited in the report, most wards have between 12,000 and 18,000 voters, while the number of voters at an individual booth generally ranges from 900 to 1,200.
The official said some wards fall outside that range, with fewer than 12,000 or more than 18,000 voters. The boundaries were redrawn with the stated aim of keeping the voter count within the 12,000-to-18,000 range in most wards.
Political parties are scheduled to receive hard copies of the draft roll on Tuesday afternoon. The report said the draft list was unlikely to be published on a website and that parties generally photocopy the rolls and distribute them among their workers. The publication of the draft roll therefore becomes the immediate reference point for residents and political organisations checking the revised ward structure.
The West Bengal State Election Commission is preparing for elections to seven civic bodies: KMC, Howrah Municipal Corporation, Bali, Haldia, Dhupguri, Kalimpong and Kurseong. Notifications for the elections are likely to be issued early next week, with November 2 identified as the most likely date by a state official.
Under the municipal election rules, a state notification announcing the election dates is to be followed by a State Election Commission notification setting out the detailed schedule. This will include the dates for filing nominations, scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawal of candidature. The commission is also expected to convene a meeting with political parties after the state announces the election dates.
The commission has told the state administration that it is prepared to conduct the elections within the proposed timeline. Officials cited in the report said the administration’s deadline is to complete elections to the seven civic bodies by November 30, allowing new municipal boards to be formed before the first week of December.
The proposed schedule is linked to the minimum time required under the rules. An election official said there must be at least 24 days between the notification date and polling day. If the notification is issued on November 2, voting can take place before November 30.
The KMC timeline is also connected to the state administration’s stated plan for a new municipal board. During a visit to KMC headquarters in June, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said that the corporation would get a new board by December 7. The next formal milestone is the state notification, followed by the State Election Commission’s detailed election schedule.
