Now Reading: Bengal assembly clears bills to hike Kolkata wards to 209, Howrah to 68
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Bengal assembly clears bills to hike Kolkata wards to 209, Howrah to 68
Bengal assembly clears bills to hike Kolkata wards to 209, Howrah to 68
The West Bengal assembly on Thursday passed two bills that increase the number of civic wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation from 144 to 209 and in the Howrah Municipal Corporation from…
The Story in Brief
The West Bengal assembly on Thursday passed two bills that increase the number of civic wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation from 144 to 209 and in the Howrah Municipal Corporation from 50 to 68. State urban development minister Agnimitra Paul said smaller wards with lower populations will allow faster delivery of services. The exercise aims to give each new ward roughly 16,000-18,000 voters, down from wards that currently have up to 80,000 voters in some areas.
Opposition parties and sections of the Trinamool Congress have questioned the move ahead of civic polls expected in November or December. According to National Herald India, CPI(M) leader Md Salim accused the BJP-led government of "gerrymandering" and a "pack and crack" strategy. The Hindustan Times reports the delimitation may help the BJP, which won only three of 144 Kolkata wards in 2021 but now controls six of the city's 11 assembly seats.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides are playing the usual game: the BJP calls it administrative efficiency, the opposition cries minority vote dilution. Yet neither has released the detailed ward maps or population data that would settle the charge. A ward with 80,000 voters against another with 10,000 is plainly unequal. But the real test is not intent, it is outcome. Will the final ward boundaries reduce the number of seats where minority communities can elect a councillor of their choice? That number will tell us whose story is true.
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, nationalheraldindia.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
