The draft reservation roster for all 209 Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards has been released ahead of the upcoming municipal election, setting out seats reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and women while opening a two-week window for objections and suggestions.
The order was issued under the West Bengal Municipal Elections (Reservation of Seats) Rules, 1994, by South 24 Parganas District Magistrate and designated authority Abhishek Kumar Tiwari, IAS. It covers all 209 electoral divisions formed under the latest delimitation.
According to the draft, 12 wards have been reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. These are wards 006, 028, 031, 052, 075, 126, 144, 154, 158, 197, 200 and 201. No ward has been reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates under the published draft.
Four of the Scheduled Caste-reserved wards have additionally been earmarked for women. They are wards 006, 052, 144 and 197. The draft does not reserve any ward for Scheduled Tribe women.
The roster also identifies a large group of general-category wards reserved for women candidates. These include wards 001, 004, 008, 011, 014, 017, 020, 023, 026, 030, 034, 037, 040, 043, 046, 049, 053, 056, 059, 062, 065, 068, 071, 074, 078, 081, 084, 087, 090, 093, 096, 099, 102, 105, 108, 111, 114, 117, 120, 123, 127, 130, 133, 136, 139, 142, 146, 149, 152, 156, 160, 163, 166, 169, 172, 175, 178, 181, 184, 187, 190, 193, 196, 202, 205 and 208.
The reservation roster is a draft and is therefore not yet the final allocation for the election. The order invites objections and suggestions from relevant stakeholders within two weeks of its release on 16 September. Submissions received during that period will be considered before the final reservation process moves ahead.
The release of the roster is an important administrative step in the preparation for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election. Ward reservations can affect the eligibility of prospective candidates and require political parties and local election aspirants to reassess their plans in the affected constituencies.
The next formal step is the consideration of objections and suggestions received within the two-week period, after which the authorities will proceed with the final reservation process.
