BMC Elections 2025: Ward Boundaries See Fewer Public Inputs Ahead of BMC Elections

by Webdesk
05 Sep 2025

Mumbai, September 4: The deadline for citizens to submit their feedback on the draft ward boundaries for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections ended on Thursday. Compared to earlier years, this time the civic body witnessed a considerably lower response from Mumbaikars. By Thursday evening, the BMC had received only about 410 suggestions and objections, much fewer than in past election cycles.

In earlier years, the participation levels had been far more enthusiastic. For instance, in 2022, when the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government had proposed increasing the number of civic seats to 236, the BMC had received nearly 892 suggestions and objections from citizens, activists, and political representatives. Similarly, in the 2017 municipal polls, when the civic wards were reorganized, around 613 submissions had come in. This year’s count, therefore, marks a steep decline in citizen engagement.

Civic officials have attributed this sharp drop in numbers largely to the fact that the ward structure has not undergone any significant changes this time around. The number of wards remains at 227, the same figure as in the 2017 civic elections, when the last BMC polls were held. Since the boundaries have not been drastically altered, officials believe that fewer people found reasons to object or suggest modifications.

With the submission window now closed, the next stage in the process will be hearings. The civic body has grouped the received suggestions and objections ward-wise to streamline the procedure. The state government has appointed former BMC Commissioner I. S. Chahal as the designated authority to preside over these hearings. He will listen to the concerns and proposals made by citizens and political parties.

Sources within the civic administration say that the hearing process is not expected to drag on for long. In the previous exercise, when close to 900 suggestions were submitted, officials had still managed to wrap up the hearings within just three days, since many submissions were repetitive in nature and could be clubbed together. This time, with less than half that number, officials are confident the process will be quicker and more efficient. The final ward boundaries are expected to be formally notified by October 6.

Each BMC corporator represents a ward with an average of 54,000 voters, though this number can vary slightly based on local demographic considerations. Opposition leaders, however, feel that the declining participation in the ward-boundary feedback process is also linked to larger issues. Former Opposition leader in the BMC, Ravi Raja, remarked that the prolonged delay in holding municipal elections has eroded citizens’ interest. “For more than three years now, the civic body has been functioning without an elected council. People are beginning to feel disconnected from the process,” he said. Raja also added that since the ward boundaries remain almost identical to 2017, there was little scope for widespread public opposition this time around.

Meanwhile, state election officials are expected to meet senior BMC officers associated with the ward-boundary exercise on September 5 to review the progress. Once the ward structure is finalized, the stage will be set for conducting the much-awaited municipal elections.

The BMC polls are likely to be held anytime from November onwards, though no official dates have been announced yet. It is important to note that the five-year term of BMC corporators had officially ended on March 7, 2022. Since then, Asia’s richest civic body has been under the administration of a government-appointed administrator, functioning without a democratically elected general body.

This extended vacuum has already attracted criticism from opposition parties, activists, and citizens who feel that the absence of an elected council has weakened accountability. Now, with the ward-boundary process moving toward completion, political observers say the elections may finally be approaching, even if somewhat delayed.

For now, the comparatively muted response to the draft ward plan highlights how both political representatives and citizens are waiting for the actual poll schedule to be announced. Until then, the city continues to function under administrative rule, with the focus on whether January 2025 or an earlier window will finally bring back Mumbai’s elected civic leadership.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

BMC Elections 2025: Ward Boundaries See Fewer Public Inputs Ahead of BMC Elections

Related News

BMC Election: किती उमेदवारांचे अर्ज वैध, किती बाद? मुंबई महापालिकेत अखेर कितीजण मैदानात?

मुंबईकरांसाठी मोठी घोषणा: १० रुपयांचा नाश्ता आणि महिलांना १५०० रुपये, ज्युनिअर ठाकरेंचा महामेगाप्लान उघड

BMC निवडणूक: ठाकरे बंधूंची 227 उमेदवारांची अंतिम यादी जाहीर! तुमच्या प्रभागातून कोण मैदानात? पाहा सविस्तर

Mumbai civic polls: NCP to approach State Election Commission, alleges bias favouring BJP–Shiv Sena candidates