The Calcutta High Court on Friday restrained the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) from issuing a notification for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections until a single bench decides a petition challenging the delimitation of municipal wards.
A division bench of Justices Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Arjun Ray Mukherjee passed the order while hearing an appeal filed by former CPI(M) councillor Dipu Das against a single bench's refusal to grant an interim stay on the delimitation exercise.
The petition challenges the September 11 notification on the revision of KMC ward boundaries, under which the number of wards is proposed to increase from 144 to 209. Das has sought a declaration that the entire exercise to determine the number of wards is void.
The petitioner alleged that the delimitation was based on electoral rolls rather than the actual population, resulting in a substantial number of residents being excluded from consideration.
He also contended that the KMC has been without an elected council since the House was dissolved on June 8, following which former chairperson Smita Pandey was appointed administrator.
On October 29, the single bench had declined to grant an interim stay on the delimitation notification while directing the parties to file affidavits. Challenging the decision, Das moved the division bench, seeking a stay on the exercise and a direction restraining the SEC from announcing the civic polls.
The division bench directed the SEC not to issue the election notification until the single bench disposes of the pending petition.
(With inputs from PTI)