The elections to the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and many other civic bodies in Bengal are likely to be held in the next three to four months, said tourism minister Gautam Deb here on Saturday.

The state wants to have the elections in all the civic bodies where elections have fallen due or will be due this year at one go, he said.

“The chief minister is of the opinion that if polls are held in phases, it affects development work for at least 35 to 40 days in the concerned civic area and in the district as a whole. That is why the state wants elections to be held in maximum number of civic bodies at one go,” said Deb, “Elections are due at the Calcutta Municipal Corporation in May. Similarly, civic polls will be due in Howrah, Asansol, Siliguri and many other places in the next three to four months. It would be better if municipal elections are held together in all these places,” he added.

According to sources, the tenures of over 100 civic bodies are likely to end by the middle of this year. Also, there are civic bodies like Alipurduar where administrators have been appointed by the state as the tenure of the elected board has already ended.

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation is one of the civic boards that will complete its tenure by May.

Trinamul is gearing up for the civic poll here and the Darjeeling district Trinamul (plains) have already been told by the state leaders to start making preparations for the upcoming elections that are likely to be held on April.

In Bengal, the SMC is the only civic board where the Left is in power.

“After the chief minister’s rally in Siliguri on January 3, the massive turnout of residents has proved that people are with us, a district Trinamul leader said.