Ward Reservation Reshuffle Turns Mumbai Politics Upside Down, Veteran Leaders Lose Ground

by Webdesk
12 Nov 2025

Mumbai: The political landscape of Mumbai witnessed a major shake-up on Tuesday as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the much-awaited results of its ward reservation lottery, dramatically altering the prospects of several veteran corporators and former mayors ahead of the upcoming civic polls.

The draw was conducted at Balgandharva Rangmandir in Bandra (West), where officials finalized the reservation status for the city’s 227 civic wards. The process decided which wards will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and women, fundamentally reshaping political strategies across party lines in the run-up to the January 2026 elections.

As per the new distribution, 61 wards have been reserved for OBCs, 15 for SCs, 2 for STs, and 74 for women under the general category, leaving 75 wards open for all candidates.

Half of the total seats — 114 out of 227 — are now reserved for women. Of these, 8 are in the SC category, 1 in ST, 31 in OBC, and 74 under the general category, marking a significant increase in women’s representation in the BMC.

However, the rotation policy has unsettled the political equations of several sitting corporators. Nearly 40 of the 61 OBC-reserved wards and 6 of the 15 SC-reserved wards were earlier classified under the general category. Furthermore, 37 wards — many previously represented by prominent male corporators — have now been reserved exclusively for women candidates.

One of the most affected regions is the F North ward, covering Matunga and Sion, where nine out of ten wards are now reserved for women, forcing several senior politicians to reconsider their electoral plans.

Among those impacted is Ravi Raja, a veteran corporator and former leader of the opposition who recently switched from the Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “My ward in F North has been reserved for OBC women. It’s a major setback, but I’ll continue to work for the party and help ensure BJP’s success in the upcoming polls,” Raja said.

In G South ward, former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar’s ward (No. 199) has been reserved for women, while several other wards that once elected mayors have now shifted to the OBC category. Vishaka Raut, a seasoned Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former mayor from Dadar’s ward 191, also finds her seat reserved for OBC women. “My ward is now under OBC ladies’ quota. While it changes the contest dynamics, the party will take the next call. The silver lining is that this shift may give new faces an opportunity,” she said.

Another major name impacted is Tejasvee Ghosalkar (ward 1, Dahisar) of the Shiv Sena (UBT) — widow of Abhishek Ghosalkar, who was tragically shot dead last year. Similarly, Milind Vaidya of the Shiv Sena (Mahim, ward 182) and Neil Somaiya of the BJP (Mulund, ward 108) have lost their seats to reservation. In South Mumbai’s elite A Ward, known for its political prominence, the Narwekar family — a strong political duo — will now exchange constituencies. Harshita Narwekar’s ward 226 in Cuffe Parade has been reserved for OBC candidates, while Makarand Narwekar’s ward 227 in Colaba has been marked for women. “Thankfully, this reshuffle works for us. I’ll contest from Makarand’s ward, and he’ll contest from mine,” Harshita said optimistically.

Veteran Congress corporator Asif Zakaria has also been affected. “In H West ward in Bandra West, only ward 102 remains open,” he explained. “In previous terms, I kept moving between wards because of reservation changes. Now, all available wards are either for women or OBC women. The decision is up to the party,” Zakaria added. The BMC administration will now forward the lottery results to the State Election Commission. The draft list of reserved wards will be released on November 14, and citizens can file objections or suggestions until November 20. The final list will be made public on November 28.

This marks the first election to be conducted under the newly notified ‘BMC Manner of Allotment and Rotation of Reservation of Seats of Councillors in Wards Rules, 2025’, which the Urban Development Department issued on October 9. The new rules emphasize reserving wards based on population density and representation of SC, ST, OBC, and women, ensuring a more balanced civic council.

With Mumbai’s civic polls delayed since 2022 and the country’s wealthiest civic body under administrative control, this reservation shuffle has set the stage for an intense political contest. As traditional leaders lose their home turfs and fresh contenders emerge, the BMC elections of 2026 promise to redefine Mumbai’s civic power dynamics and open doors to a new generation of leadership.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Ward Reservation Reshuffle Turns Mumbai Politics Upside Down, Veteran Leaders Lose Ground

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