Suvendu announces Kolkata civic polls by December following TMC board dissolution

Kolkata, Jun 15 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced that elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) would be held by December this year, signalling the BJP government's intent to restore an elected civic board barely days after dissolving the TMC-controlled body following Mayor Firhad Hakim's resignation.

He also said that his government is in favour of conducting the KMC elections after carrying out the delimitation of wards.

Addressing a programme at the KMC headquarters, Adhikari said the Corporation is currently under an administrator following an "administrative deadlock" and that elected representatives would return through polls within the year.

"There was an impasse in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation after the mayor's resignation. So the government gave three days to constitute a new board. Since they could not form it, the government dissolved the board and appointed an administrator. By December, through elections, the civic body will be handed over to elected representatives," he said at a programme here.

Later, speaking to reporters, the chief minister said he wants an elected body to take charge and is not keen on occupying the board through backdoor means.

“KMC services are like emergency services. Elections will be conducted by the first week of December. We wanted the existing party (TMC), which has the majority, to form the new board after the mayor resigned. But if their party can’t decide on who will be the mayor, what can the state government do?” he said.

The CM had earlier stated that the government will not dissolve any municipal board before its term ends, and elections will be held at the stipulated time.

"The last election was held on December 7, 2021, and the next one will be conducted as per schedule," Adhikari said, alleging that a section of the media is spreading misinformation about the KMC polls.

The CM also said, "The government is in favour of conducting the election only after carrying out delimitation of wards." The announcement came during the launch of "Swachhatake Swagat," a city-wide cleanliness drive undertaken ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Kolkata later this month for an International Yoga Day event at Red Road.

In a scene reflecting the changing political landscape in Bengal after the BJP's victory in the assembly elections, Adhikari shared the stage with former mayor Firhad Hakim, TMC MP Mala Roy, MLA Sandeepan Saha and several former civic functionaries who until recently occupied key positions in the Trinamool Congress-run corporation.

The chief minister repeatedly emphasised that the civic administration should transcend political divisions and focus on providing public service.

"This is not about this side or that side. It is only about development… Politics can be done during elections, and during the remaining five years, all of us will work together for development," he said.

The visit marked Adhikari's first official programme at the civic headquarters after assuming office as chief minister and came amid heightened activity within the corporation following its dissolution last week.

Officials said senior officers had been instructed to remain prepared with updates on departmental functioning, civic services and monsoon preparedness, amid indications that the chief minister could review the city's readiness ahead of the rainy season.

The political landscape has undergone significant changes over the past six weeks.

The BJP's victory in the assembly elections, the results of which were declared on May 4, ended the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule in West Bengal and was followed by resignations of functionaries from several civic bodies across the state.

The KMC itself entered uncharted territory after Hakim resigned as mayor on June 5 following consultations with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

After the mandatory 72-hour period elapsed without the election of a successor, the municipal affairs department dissolved the corporation and appointed senior IAS officer Smita Pandey as administrator until fresh elections are held.

The government order stipulated that all councillors, members of the mayor-in-council, committee members and the chairperson would vacate office in accordance with provisions of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980.

Hakim, who also served as urban development minister in the previous Trinamool government, had been among the most visible faces of the civic administration.

The KMC had remained under uninterrupted TMC control since 2010, a year before Mamata Banerjee ended the Left Front's 34-year rule in the state. PTI

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