West Bengal CM warns of coordinator appointments if civic poll stay continues

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said Wednesday that the West Bengal government would take alternative administrative measures should the judicial stay on municipal elections persist beyond a certain timeframe. According to Adhikari, the state administration is prepared to appoint coordinators to manage civic bodies if the election commission remains unable to conduct the polls. The decision underscores growing frustration within the state government over delays in holding the elections, which are scheduled to determine leadership in multiple urban local bodies across West Bengal. The Chief Minister indicated that the government views coordinator appointments as a necessary measure to ensure continuity in municipal governance and service delivery during the extended deadlock. The state has filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court, seeking immediate dissolution of the stay order that has blocked the civic elections. Officials stated that the petition highlights the administrative challenges posed by the prolonged absence of elected civic bodies and the need for expedited judicial intervention. The petition is currently under consideration by the apex court, with the state awaiting a substantive hearing on the matter.