Ahead Of The Much-Awaited BMC Polls, Asia’s Largest Civic Body Announces Ward Reservations

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on November 11 conducted the much-awaited lottery to determine the reservation of its 227 wards ahead of the upcoming civic elections. The draw, held at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Bandra, was carried out in the presence of civic officials, political representatives, and members of the civil society. 

According to officials, out of the total 227 wards, 15 have been reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates, two for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 61 for Other Backward Classes (OBC), which accounts for roughly 27 per cent of all wards. In addition, 114 wards have been reserved for women candidates, covering all categories, including SC, ST, OBC, and the general category. This means that 50 per cent of all seats in the next civic house will be represented by women. 

The ward reservation draw was conducted under the new Manner of Allotment and Rotation of Reservation of Seats of Councillors in Wards Rules, 2025, notified by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department earlier this year. Under the revised system, wards with a higher population of SC, ST, and OBC communities are prioritised in the rotation cycle for reservation. Civic officials said the new method ensures a fair and data-based approach in allocating reserved wards, keeping in view the latest demographic updates.

Following the draw, the BMC will publish the draft list of reserved wards on November 14, after which citizens can submit objections and suggestions between November 14 and 20. The final notification will be issued on November 28, once all feedback is reviewed. Officials clarified that the process will remain open and transparent, with documents and maps accessible to the public through the municipal website.

This reservation exercise marks an important step toward conducting the next BMC elections, which are overdue since the term of the previous house ended in March 2022. The civic body— India’s richest municipal corporation— has been under an administrator since then. The finalisation of the ward structure and reservation chart will allow the State Election Commission to proceed with the election schedule.

The new reservation setup is also expected to impact several political parties and veteran corporators. Many sitting corporators are likely to find their earlier wards reserved for categories they do not belong to, forcing them to contest from new areas. Political observers believe this could lead to a reshuffling of electoral strategies and candidate selection, especially among major parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), BJP, Congress, and NCP.

BMC officials maintained that the lottery process was conducted transparently, with proceedings live-streamed and recorded. Political representatives present at the event also verified the process. The administration said that the reservation pattern aims to ensure greater representation for marginalised communities and women in Mumbai’s civic governance.

With the publication of the draft reservation list, the process toward holding Mumbai’s civic polls has gained momentum after years of delay, setting the stage for an election that will reshape the city’s political landscape. 

Why Have BMC Elections Been Delayed for Three Years Since 2022?

The BMC elections, originally scheduled after the expiry of the civic body’s term in March 2022, have been delayed due to a series of administrative and legal developments. The Maharashtra government had sought to restore 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body polls, which was earlier struck down by the Supreme Court in 2021 for lack of empirical data. Following this, elections to several municipal and local bodies, including the BMC, were put on hold until the state submitted a revised report based on the recommendations of the Banthia Commission.

In 2022, the Supreme Court allowed OBC reservation to be reintroduced, subject to compliance with the ‘triple test’ conditions of quantifiable data, proportionate representation, and rotation. The final green signal from the court enabled the State Election Commission to resume the process of ward delimitation and reservation in 2025, paving the way for the upcoming civic polls in Mumbai.