BMC finalizes ward boundaries for civic polls: Only 6 wards see changes after 307 suggestions & objections reviewed

by Webdesk
06 Oct 2025

Taking a decisive step toward the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday unveiled its final delimitation list, marking the completion of the city’s electoral boundary restructuring. The list, which outlines the final demarcation for all 227 wards, was released after receiving formal approval from the State Election Commission on October 3.

According to BMC officials, the updated delimitation report has minor modifications — changes have been made in only six electoral wards across the city. With the final list now notified, the civic body is gearing up to begin the ward reservation process, which will determine the seat allotment for various categories of candidates.

The Mumbai civic elections are anticipated to take place in early January next year, nearly three years after the tenure of the last elected corporators ended in March 2022. Since then, the BMC has been functioning under an administrator, with the municipal commissioner overseeing day-to-day operations under the supervision of the state urban development department.

Earlier this year, in June, the BMC had released a provisional list of electoral wards and invited citizen feedback — including suggestions and objections — on the proposed demarcations. The process of delimitation, conducted before every civic election, involves evaluating and redefining ward boundaries based on population growth, demographic changes, and infrastructure development, such as the construction of new roads, flyovers, and bridges. The objective is to ensure fair representation and balance in population distribution across wards.

For the 2025 elections, the BMC received 492 applications from citizens and political representatives, providing suggestions and objections regarding the proposed ward boundaries. Officials attributed the relatively low public response to the limited number of major boundary changes in this year’s proposal, compared to previous exercises.

The final delimitation confirms that Mumbai will continue to have 227 wards, the same number as in the 2017 civic polls. Out of the 492 submissions, the civic administration has accepted and incorporated 307 suggestions and objections, which were deemed valid and relevant to the demarcation process.

According to the BMC, the new delimitation notification will be applicable for the next general elections that follow the release of the notification. The official document details the boundaries of all 227 wards, along with the total population and the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) demographic figures based on the 2011 Census data.

As per the final report, the total population across Mumbai’s 227 electoral wards stands at 1,24,42,373, including around 8.03 lakh SC residents and 1.29 lakh ST residents. Civic officials highlighted that while most of the city’s wards have remained unchanged, six wards—primarily located in the western suburbs—have undergone revisions to better reflect current population and infrastructure realities.

The official BMC notification stated:

“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 19 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the State Government or its authorised officer, with the approval of the State Election Commission, Maharashtra, hereby finalises the number and extent of wards into which the Municipal Corporation area shall be divided, as detailed in the schedule to this notification.”

The previous BMC elections, held in 2017, had witnessed the highest voter turnout in two decades, with 55 percent of registered voters casting their ballots. However, despite the strong participation, the election process was marred by confusion at several polling stations. One of the major reasons for the chaos was the discrepancy in the municipal voters’ list, which reportedly had around 11 lakh fewer registered voters compared to the 2012 elections.

This latest delimitation marks a significant milestone as Mumbai prepares for the next round of civic elections. The process, which determines the electoral geography of the city, plays a crucial role in shaping the political landscape and ensuring equitable representation for citizens across diverse neighbourhoods — from South Mumbai’s heritage zones to the rapidly developing suburbs.

With the final ward boundaries now in place, the BMC’s focus will shift to finalising ward reservations, followed by the announcement of the election schedule by the State Election Commission. As the city moves closer to the polls, all political parties — including Shiv Sena (UBT), BJP, Congress, and MNS — are expected to intensify their groundwork and candidate selection strategies for the battle of the BMC, India’s richest civic body.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

BMC finalizes ward boundaries for civic polls: Only 6 wards see changes after 307 suggestions & objections reviewed

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