Election Blunder in Mumbai: Activist Highlights 6,834 Voters Misdirected to Ward 163, BMC Faces Tough Questions

by Webdesk
30 Nov 2025

Mumbai: A major discrepancy has surfaced in the draft electoral rolls published by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), after nearly 6,834 residents of Kurla were found to be incorrectly listed under Ward 163 instead of their rightful Ward 162. The issue came to light when social activist Anil Galgali reviewed the draft rolls and formally lodged an objection with the L-Ward assistant municipal commissioner on November 29.

According to Galgali, a portion of the revised voter list—specifically the section spanning serial numbers 1,634 to 8,437—was mistakenly included under Ward 163 due to the delimitation exercise carried out before the municipal elections. These residents geographically and administratively fall under Ward 162, yet the draft list shows them as part of Ward 163. Calling the error “serious and alarming,” the activist emphasized that inaccuracies of this magnitude have the potential to undermine the fairness of the upcoming BMC elections.

Galgali stated that for the electoral process to remain credible, all 6,834 misclassified voters must be shifted without delay from Ward 163 to Ward 162. He said that his written objection has been submitted to the L-Ward assistant commissioner, while copies have also been forwarded to municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and additional municipal commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi, urging immediate action to rectify the anomaly before the final voters list is issued.

The revelation of this error is not isolated. Only a week earlier, the Mumbai Congress accused the BMC of misplacing around 70,000 voters by transferring them from one ward to another in the Dharavi region. In connection with this grievance, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad met the G-North Ward assistant municipal commissioner and lodged a protest, demanding corrections and transparency in the revision of the voter rolls.

Similar complaints have emerged from multiple municipal areas across Maharashtra, prompting heightened scrutiny. With concerns growing over large-scale voter displacement, the State Election Commission (SEC) has empowered municipal commissioners to directly examine claims, verify on-ground facts, and correct the mistakes before releasing the final voter lists for the municipal corporation polls across 29 cities. This move is aimed at ensuring that no eligible voter is allocated to a wrong ward, which could affect electoral representation and outcomes.

As of Sunday, the BMC has received 3,601 objections pertaining to the draft voters list. Among these, the highest number of complaints—1,061—has come from the M-East ward, which covers localities such as Govandi, Mankhurd, and parts of Chembur East. The second-highest number of objections—525—has been registered in the N ward, which includes areas like Ghatkopar and Vikhroli. Interestingly, no objections have been reported so far from the B ward, which comprises Masjid and Dongri. The volume of complaints indicates growing dissatisfaction among citizens and political representatives regarding the accuracy of the ward-wise draft rolls. Several political parties have alleged that errors in the electoral list could tilt the election results if not corrected before voting takes place. Civil society groups also fear that mass misallocation of voters could dilute the influence of specific communities in particular wards.

Officials from the BMC have acknowledged receiving objections and have assured that each submission will be reviewed as per SEC norms. Booth-level officers and ward staff are currently engaged in cross-checking affected names, voter addresses, and ward boundaries. Some officials have hinted that many mistakes may have resulted from complex boundary changes during delimitation, where multiple residential colonies and societies were transferred between wards.

Elections to the municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the crucial BMC polls, are approaching rapidly. As the largest and richest civic body in India, the BMC election carries significant political weight, with all parties aggressively preparing their ground strategy. For this reason, even small discrepancies in the voter list are drawing intense attention.

With complaints rising and political pressure mounting, the coming weeks are expected to be crucial. Whether the BMC can correct thousands of entries before the publication of the final voters list will determine how smoothly the city moves towards the upcoming municipal elections. For now, the controversy surrounding the wrongful listing of 6,834 Kurla residents in Ward 163 has placed the civic administration under the spotlight, highlighting the need for precision and transparency in the electoral database.

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02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Election Blunder in Mumbai: Activist Highlights 6,834 Voters Misdirected to Ward 163, BMC Faces Tough Questions

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