West Bengal government to appoint coordinators if stay on civic polls not lifted, says CM Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. File

The West Bengal government will appoint coordinators in the wards of Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Howrah Municipal Corporation if the stay on civic polls is not lifted by the Supreme Court, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Thursday (November 12, 2026).

The Calcutta High Court on October 6 restrained the West Bengal State Election Commission from issuing any notification for the upcoming KMC elections based on newly redrawn wards until a pending petition challenging the delimitation exercise is decided.

Addressing a gathering in Howrah District, Mr. Adhikari accused Opposition parties of obstructing the electoral process, and alleged that residents had been deprived of elected civic representation and proper municipal services for years.

“Those who are likely to lose their security deposits in the elections are the ones obstructing the process,” the Chief Minister said. He said that similar to proposal at KMC, coordinators will be appointed for each ward in Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) if elections are not held in time. According to sources, BJP leaders are likely to be appointed as coordinators across KMC and HMC.

Mr. Adhikari said that his government would approach the Supreme Court with a Special Leave Petition (SLP) seeking that the stay on holding civic polls be lifted. According to the Chief Minister, officials have limitations and cannot provide civic facilities for a long time.

Elections to the HMC have not been held since 2013, and for almost a decade officials have been providing services to the people of the civic body. The Trinamool Congress run board at Kolkata Municipal Corporation was dissolved weeks after the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power. Mayor of KMC Firhad Hakim and other councillors resigned and the State government appointed an administrator to run the affairs of the largest civic body in the State.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday (October 6, 2026) restrained the West Bengal State Election Commission from issuing any notification for the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections based on newly redrawn wards until a pending petition challenging the delimitation exercise is decided.

The West Bengal government had passed a legislation in the State Assembly on August 12, redrawing the wards of the KMC and HMC increasing the number of wards from 144 to 209 and 50 to 68 respectively. The Opposition parties have alleged the State government and its agencies have resorted to gerrymandering while undertaking delimitation of wards in order to secure partisan advantage to the ruling political party in West Bengal on the premise of previous electoral results.

The BJP government in West Bengal was keen on holding elections to KMC and HMC. In fact, the BJP leadership had started the process of selecting candidates. Mr. Adhikari has on several occasions, expressed their preference to hold civic body elections in Kolkata and Howrah by the end of November or early December this year.

West Bengal / Kolkata / Howrah / election