# West Bengal municipal election legal challenges

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-municipal-election-legal-challenges
> Updated: 2026-10-26T07:00:04.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Legal proceedings in the Calcutta High Court have emerged regarding preparations for upcoming municipal elections in West Bengal. The court has requested a report from the State Election Commission concerning a shortage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units, which are needed for polls in seven municipalities including Kolkata and Howrah.

Simultaneously, a petition has been filed to challenge the delimitation of wards within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The petitioner argues the process to increase the number of wards from 144 to 209 is unscientific and fails to follow legal procedures regarding topography and population. Political objections have also been raised regarding the potential impact of the new boundaries on voting patterns.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-26: Calcutta High Court petitioned over Kolkata ward delimitation

A resident has challenged the proposed increase of Kolkata Municipal Corporation wards from 144 to 209 in the Calcutta High Court, alleging unscientific methods and procedural failures.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/calcutta-high-court-petitioned-over-kolkata-ward-delimitation

### 2026-10-12: Calcutta High Court seeks report on EVM shortage for municipal polls

The Calcutta High Court has requested a report from the West Bengal State Election Commission regarding EVM and VVPAT shortages ahead of municipal elections in seven municipalities.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/calcutta-high-court-seeks-report-on-evm-shortage-for-municipal-polls

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Cite as: West Bengal municipal election legal challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/west-bengal-municipal-election-legal-challenges