The Calcutta High Court has declined to issue an interim order against the redrawing of Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards, leaving the expansion from 144 to 209 wards in force for now as the court seeks affidavits from both sides.
A bench led by Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya directed the West Bengal government to submit its affidavit within four weeks. The petitioner will have a further two weeks to file a counter-affidavit. The case may come up for hearing again after six weeks.
The petition was filed by a resident of Kasba, who has challenged the ward delimitation process on the grounds that it was not carried out in accordance with the law. The petitioner has alleged that the boundaries were redrawn without maintaining reasonable consistency and that population, geographical position and administrative compatibility were not properly considered.
The petition also questions whether the restructuring is reasonable and has asked the court to examine the basis on which the number and boundaries of the municipal wards were changed. The court, however, did not intervene at this stage and will consider the matter after receiving the submissions of the government and the petitioner.
The order comes ahead of the expected Kolkata civic election. Municipal elections may be held in December, according to the report, making the ward structure an immediate administrative and political issue. With no interim suspension, the revised delimitation remains operative while the legal challenge proceeds.
Ward delimitation determines the territorial boundaries through which residents are represented in the municipal corporation. It also shapes the distribution of councillor constituencies and the administrative organisation of local services. Any dispute over population balance, geography or administrative continuity can therefore affect how voters are grouped and how municipal representation is structured.
The dispute has already generated political contention ahead of the civic poll, with claims that the revised boundaries could influence electoral calculations. Those political implications were not decided in Thursday’s hearing. The court’s immediate direction was limited to obtaining affidavits and allowing both sides to present their positions.
The West Bengal government’s affidavit is expected to set out the basis for the ward expansion and boundary changes. The petitioner’s response will follow within the subsequent two-week period. The next substantive consideration of the challenge is expected when the matter returns before the High Court after the affidavit process is completed.
