Maharashtra Govt Sets Stage For Polls To 29 Civic Bodies With Ward Delimitation Order

Mumbai: In a key step towards conducting long-pending elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the state government has issued a notification to finalise ward boundaries.

According to the notification, the number of corporators to be elected to the BMC has been capped at 227, with each ward in Mumbai electing one corporator. In contrast, other municipal corporations will have four corporators per ward, a number that may vary between three and five.

The ward delimitation process will proceed with the approval of the State Election Commission (SEC). For Mumbai, the BMC commissioner has been tasked with preparing the draft delimitation plan.

The notification directs that the city's population, as per the 2011 Census, be divided by the number of corporators to determine the average population per ward.

Before finalising the draft, the civic body must consider public objections and suggestions. The final plan, once revised, will be submitted to the SEC for approval and subsequently published by the civic commissioner.

The notification emphasises maintaining geographical continuity in ward boundaries. It advises using natural or physical features, such as major roads, lanes, rivers, drains, hills, railway tracks, and flyovers, as delimiters.

It explicitly states that no single building, chawl, or house should be split between two wards and that all areas, including open spaces, must fall within a ward.

Special consideration is to be given to avoid splitting residential settlements, especially those inhabited by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Additionally, the notification urges planners to ensure internal connectivity and access to basic amenities, including primary health centres, hospitals, crematoriums, markets, water and sanitation facilities, schools, and playgrounds, within each ward.

The move follows a Supreme Court directive last month asking the SEC to proceed with the elections while hearing petitions related to the OBC quota and ward delimitation. Civic body polls in the state have been pending for two years.

The upcoming elections will be held in the context of a changed political landscape in Maharashtra since 2022.

The main electoral battle is expected to be between the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and Congress.

However, at the local level, political parties may adopt independent strategies, prioritising winnability over alliance dynamics.

In the 2022 Mumbai civic elections, the BJP made significant gains, narrowing the gap with the then-undivided Shiv Sena. The Sena won 84 seats, BJP 82, Congress 31, and the undivided NCP 9. MNS, SP, AIMIM, and Independents claimed other seats. Maharashtra govt sets stage for polls to 29 civic bodies with ward delimitation order

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