Mumbai: In a key step towards conducting long-pending civic elections, the Maharashtra Urban Development Department on Tuesday issued official notifications initiating the process for finalising ward boundaries across the state. This move is expected to accelerate preparations for elections in 29 civic bodies, all of which are currently under administrative rule in the absence of elected bodies.
The state government reportedly decided to adopt a four-member ward system for all municipal corporations except Mumbai, where the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will continue with its traditional single-member ward system, maintaining the total at 227 wards. The BMC commissioner will oversee the ward formation process in Mumbai, while for other cities, the responsibility has been delegated based on the classification of municipal bodies.
Corporations Divided Into Categories
Of the 29 corporations, Pune and Nagpur fall under Class A, Thane, Nashik and Pimpri-Chinchwad under Class B and Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Kalyan-Dombivali are designated Class C, reported Indian Express. Municipal commissioners will lead the ward delimitation process in these A, B, and C class corporations. The remaining 19 municipal corporations, classified as Class D, will have district collectors in charge of the ward formation exercise.
The draft ward boundaries will be released for public suggestions and objections, following which final boundaries will be notified. The State Election Commission had previously directed both the Urban and Rural Development Departments to complete this exercise within 30 to 40 days.
These upcoming civic polls are being viewed as mini-assembly elections in the state, with high political stakes. The ward formation notifications mark a crucial development as all 29 civic bodies, including newly formed Jalna and Ichalkaranji, currently lack elected representatives.
In the broader urban and rural landscape, 248 municipal councils and 147 Nagar Panchayats are also without elected bodies, with many governed by administrators. Additionally, 32 of 34 Zilla Parishads and 336 out of 351 Panchayat Samitis are also under administrative control, necessitating fresh elections.
This large-scale electoral process follows a Supreme Court directive on May 6, which stressed the constitutional necessity of holding local body elections. The court ordered that the OBC reservation be restored to pre-Banthia Commission levels, allowing the election process to move forward without delay. With formal ward formation now underway, Maharashtra is poised for a large-scale return to grassroots democracy.
