Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari on Friday hinted at a large-scale overhaul of Bengal’s assembly constituencies combined with a significant increase in the number of members in the state legislative assembly — which may necessitate the construction of a new assembly building.Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha on Friday, Adhikari said: “The number of assembly seats may increase once delimitation takes place. Therefore, with future planning in mind, under the speaker’s leadership and with the support of the state govt, we hope to make efforts towards constructing a new assembly building in future.”The remarks are the clearest indication yet that the new govt is preparing for a major political reorganisation tied to the long-delayed Census and the proposed delimitation bill, 2026, which seeks to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies on the basis of updated population figures.The comments follow the state cabinet’s decision in its first meeting on Monday to immediately roll out the census in Bengal — a sharp departure from the previous administration’s stance.Adhikari has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led govt of leaving a Union home ministry communication on the census “untouched for nearly a year” after it was sent in June 2025.Bengal’s population is estimated to have crossed 10.7 crore in May 2026, a steep rise from the 9.1 crore recorded in the 2011 census — figures that will directly shape constituency delimitation, administrative restructuring and future governance planning.The prospect of delimitation has already sparked political debate. Proponents argue boundaries must be revised to reflect population shifts and ensure equitable representation. Opposition parties fear the exercise could redraw traditional vote-bank structures and alter electoral equations in politically sensitive regions.
