Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Bengal SEC Sets Civic Poll Preparation Deadlines Before Durga Puja
West Bengal is getting ready to hold elections for several city and town councils.
The State Election Commission told officials to finish important preparation work before the Durga Puja holidays.
This work includes drawing ward boundaries, checking voter lists and deciding which seats are reserved.
Officials must also choose polling stations and arrange election workers and police.
The commission is checking whether enough electronic voting machines are available.
One report says machines from the Assembly election may be used, while another says the decision is not final.
The elections are expected after the festive season, but the exact dates and number of voting days are still uncertain.
A list of reserved seats is expected in September, followed by a final list in October.
The West Bengal State Election Commission asked districts to complete civic-election preparations before the Durga Puja holidays.
Preparations include ward delimitation, seat reservations, voter-list revision, polling-station planning, EVM checks and staff deployment.
The commission requested police requirements and reviewed plans for secure strong rooms and election security.
Pending elections cover five municipal corporations and several municipalities across West Bengal, with voting expected after the festive season.
Reports differ on EVM use, participating districts and polling dates, while the commission has not announced a final schedule.
- Who
- The West Bengal State Election Commission, State Election Commissioner Krishna Gupta and district officials responsible for civic elections.
- What
- The commission directed districts to complete preparations for pending municipal and municipal-corporation elections before Durga Puja.
- When
- The instruction was issued on Wednesday, September 2; preparation deadlines extend through September and October, with polls expected after the festive season.
- Where
- West Bengal, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapore and, according to one report, Birbhum.
- Why
- To allow the civic-election process to proceed without delay after the festive season.
Earlier or more specific reports
Commission position and differing account
EVM availability
Earlier or more specific reports
Telegraph India sources said EVMs used in the Assembly elections would be used for the civic polls.
Commission position and differing account
The PTI report said the commission had not finalized whether to use Assembly-election EVMs or procure new machines, and that availability could affect whether voting occurs in one phase or several.
District participation
Earlier or more specific reports
The PTI account identified six districts: Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Purba Medinipur.
Commission position and differing account
Telegraph India reported that officials from those districts and Birbhum attended the video conference, creating a discrepancy over the number of districts involved.
Election timing
Earlier or more specific reports
Telegraph India sources said polls could take place between the third week of November and mid-December, or before Christmas, and suggested Kolkata and Howrah could vote separately from other civic bodies.
Commission position and differing account
The commission had not announced a final schedule; the PTI report said timing and the number of phases remained dependent partly on EVM availability.
- State election commissioner
- Krishna Gupta
- Municipal corporations awaiting elections
- Kolkata (also called Calcutta), Howrah, Bidhannagar, Durgapur and Siliguri
- Preparation work
- Ward delimitation, seat reservation, electoral-roll revision, polling-station identification, EVM management and personnel deployment
- Reservation-list deadlines
- The draft list is expected by the third week or middle of September; the final list is targeted for October, with one report specifying the last week.
- EVM position
- One report says Assembly-election EVMs are expected to be used; another says the commission had not taken a final decision between existing and newly procured machines.
- Potential polling period
- Reports place the elections after the festive season, from the third week of November to December, but no final schedule has been announced.
- Security planning
- The commission sought police-personnel estimates and reviewed secure strong-room infrastructure and security deployment plans.
