Kolkata · Reported November 2, 2026
Former Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim has said he does not intend to contest the forthcoming municipal election, IANS reported on November 2. The report also described another former mayor, Sovan Chatterjee, as an unlikely candidate after distancing himself from active politics. Those positions have different degrees of certainty: Hakim’s stated intention should not be confused with a formal withdrawal by Chatterjee.
Candidate selection becomes a local test
The IANS account, carried by Ommcom News, says the reluctance of several former councillors is complicating candidate selection for the Trinamool factions. Hakim also rejected speculation that his eldest daughter, Priyadarshini, would contest the ward he had represented. The report identified former mayor-in-council members Sandip Ranjan Bakshi and Swapan Samaddar as willing to stand.
These are reported intentions before the completed nomination process. A prospective candidate can express willingness without appearing on a final ballot; equally, a former office-holder’s absence from a campaign is not, by itself, an official rejection of a nomination.
A larger municipal map
The candidate search is taking place across an expanded corporation. The Indian Express reported on August 12 that the Assembly had passed amendment legislation increasing Kolkata’s wards from 144 to 209, an addition of 65. Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul said the restructuring was intended to improve civic-service delivery in response to changes in population distribution.
The practical question for residents is who will represent their neighbourhood under the revised boundaries. Familiar names are one part of that picture; a published ward map, the applicable reservation and the final candidate list are the records that identify a voter’s actual choices. This is an explanation of how to read the developing contest, not a prediction of its result.
Polling dates need a formal record
The November 2 IANS report refers to December polls. An October 30 Statesman report had described uncertainty over the timetable and quoted Paul as saying the government had not decided to defer the elections. Those accounts should not be turned into a confirmed polling date without the election notification.
This article therefore reports the candidate-selection development and the established ward expansion. It does not announce the start of nominations, a polling day or a final party slate. When those records are issued, they will provide a firmer basis for comparing representation and campaign promises ward by ward.
Frequently asked questions
Has Sovan Chatterjee formally withdrawn a nomination?
The cited account describes his candidature as unlikely. It does not establish a formal nomination withdrawal.
How many wards are involved?
The reported expansion takes Kolkata Municipal Corporation from 144 to 209 wards. Voters should use the applicable official ward and electoral-roll records for their address.
Is a polling day confirmed here?
No. The reporting reviewed contains timetable uncertainty; a formal election notification is the authoritative reference.
Sources and report context
Candidate plans are attributed to IANS’s November 2 report via Ommcom News. Ward expansion and the government’s stated rationale come from The Indian Express’s August 12 legislative report; timetable context comes from The Statesman’s October 30 account. Read more on our Kolkata desk. Both photographs are labelled archives identifying the named former mayors, rather than images of the current election preparations.
Image source
Featured photograph: Firhad Hakim, with Saugata Ray and Sudhir Krishna at a New Town financial-hub meeting in New Delhi on 23 August 2012. Archive photograph identifies Hakim; it does not depict the 2026 civic-election announcement. Photo: N Varadharajan / Photo Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India; issued by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs / Original file page · GODL-India. Original Commons file downloaded unchanged; WordPress may resize, crop or recompress it for display. No endorsement implied.
Inline photograph 1: Sovan Chatterjee, then Kolkata mayor, photographed at Durga idol immersion by the Hooghly on 22 October 2015. Archive photograph identifies the former mayor; it does not depict 2026 election preparations. Photo: Biswarup Ganguly / Original file page · CC BY 3.0. Original downloaded unchanged; WordPress may resize or recompress it. No endorsement implied.
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