In October 2011, the expansion process was initiated before the elections to the corporation council in October. In this move, 42 small local bodies, including 9 municipalities, 8 town panchayats and 25 village panchayats, were merged with Chennai Corporation, taking the area up by 140% to 426 km2 from the earlier 176 km2. Some areas have been arbitrarily left out, to the discontent of the residents of those areas. The new expanded Corporation of Chennai has 200 wards, an increase of 45 wards. Elections were held for the expanded corporation in October 2011.