BMC Civic Polls 2025: Delimitation, OBC Reservation In Focus As Mumbai Prepares For High-Stakes Elections
The elections were last held in 2017 and the terms of the corporators ended in February, 2022. For the past over three years the muncipal commissioner has been managing the city in his capacity as the administrator.
BMC Civic Polls 2025: Delimitation, OBC Reservation In Focus As Mumbai Prepares For High-Stakes Elections | File pic
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has start hectic preparations for the much-awaited civic elections, which are expected to be held in October 2025. The elections were last held in 2017 and the terms of the corporators ended in February, 2022. For the past over three years the muncipal commissioner has been managing the city in his capacity as the administrator.
The civic officials are now waiting for the delimitation of the 227 electoral wards spread across the metropolis. The number of wards will remain static at 227 despite the surge in the city's population. “The process of announcing the reservations will follow, once the delimitation is completed,” said Jagdish More, spokesperson for the Maharashtra state election commission (SEC). More said that the SEC is taking legal advice on the reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The Supreme Court had on May 6 cleared the decks for holding elections of 29 local bodies in Maharashtra, including the BMC, which are been run by administrators for three years, and directed to notify the elections within four weeks. The apex court directed to continue the OBC reservation in the local body polls as it existed before 2022. “The OBC reservation for every municipal corporation/council in Maharashtra is different. Hence, legal opinion has been sought,” More added. .
The BMC is the largest civic body in Maharashtra, with an annual budget of Rs 74,000 crore (FY 25-26), making it the richest municipal corporation in the country. As per BMC officials, the number of civic wards in Mumbai for the 2025 elections will continue to be the same as in 2017. “As the 2021 population census was not conducted, the demarcation of wards is not likely to change. The 2011 census will be taken into consideration. However, the population rise in every ward is known from the updated voter list. However, as per rule, the difference between the neighbouring wards should not exceed 5,000. In Mumbai, the population has not increased in a particular area, but it's widespread.”
In 2022, when the BMC elections were slated, the then Uddhav Thackeray-led government had revised the ward list and added nine new wards in Mumbai. Out of the 236 wards, 110 wards left open for all categories, 15 seats for Scheduled castes, 2 for scheduled tribes and 109 for women in all categories. However, after the split in the Shiv Sena, which led to the toppling of the MVA government, the subsequent Eknath Shinde-led government revoked the delimitation order. The decision was challenged in the court, thereby delaying the elections.
The officer added that once the BMC receives the delimitation list from the state government, the process for reservation will be held via lottery. “The percentage of reservation will remain same. To set a benchmark to start with, first Schedule Tribe reservation is finalised, followed by the Schedule Caste and OBC. For women's reservation, the state government will inform.” The BMC started 50% ward reservation for women from 2012. The lottery is conducted to avoid a continuation of the same caste reservation for the same ward.
In the 2017 BMC elections, the undivided Shiv Sena led with 84 seats, followed by the BJP with 82 seats, Congress (31), NCP (9), MNS (7) and independents 14.
However, with the split in the Shiv Sena and NCP, the political dynamics have changed. CM Devendra Fadnavis said recently that the BJP will have a thumping success in the civic elections and voters will elect the Mahayuti as it did in the state assembly elections.