Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) The polling for formation of seven urban civic bodies in West Bengal, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), is likely to be conducted in the last week of November this year and the results might be declared in the first week of December, officials said on Thursday.
The West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) had already started the preparatory process for the urban civic body polls.
“As per our target, the notifications for the urban civic body polls might be announced either on October 27 or on October 28, that is soon after the forthcoming Durga Puja. The elections for the seven civic bodies might be organised either on November 28 or on November 29, that is after the entire festive season will be over. The tentative date for counting and the announcement of the results will be on December 2,” a source from the WBSEC said.
The seven municipal bodies where the elections will be conducted this year, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Howrah Municipal Corporation, Bali municipality in Howrah district, Haldia municipality in East Midnapore district, Dhupguri municipality in Jalpaiguri district, Kalimpong municipality and Kurseong municipality, with the last two being in Darjeeling district.
“Voting will be held in a total of 6,301 booths in these seven urban civic bodies. Preparations have already started at the administrative level. The State Election Commissioner Krishna Gupta will meet the District Magistrates of the districts concerned on Friday to finalise the voting outline. The work of reaching EVMs to the districts concerned will start from next week,” the WBSEC source added.
At present, a total of 15 urban civic bodies scattered over 12 districts of West Bengal do not have elected municipal boards.
Municipal services are being run by administrators for these urban civic bodies.
Notable among them is Howrah Municipality Corporation, where no elections have been held for the last 13 years.
The last election in Howrah Municipality Corporation was held in 2013. Its term ended in 2018.
Since the formation of the new Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government in West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had been giving a message in favour of moving the election process forward quickly for these urban civic bodies at the administrative level.
Soon after the formation of the new Cabinet, the State Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul met the Chief Minister regarding the votes of these urban civic bodies.
–IANS
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