Seating Row Erupts In BMC After 24 Congress Members Denied Chairs On Mayoral Poll Day

Mumbai: After nearly four years, newly elected representatives have returned to the civic house, only to find that the century-old corporation hall does not have adequate seating arrangements. Following an uproar after 24 elected corporators from the Congress were left without seats inside the hall on the mayoral election day, the civic body is now scrambling to resolve the issue before regular proceedings begin.

On Friday, Mayor Ritu Tawde convened a joint meeting with group leaders of all political parties in the BMC to discuss the seating arrangements in the civic house. Ganesh Khankar, group leader of the BJP, said, “The seating arrangements in the civic house are inadequate and uncomfortable. The microphone system also needs to be upgraded. We have asked the civic authorities to examine whether additional benches can be installed and cordless microphones introduced. We expect the changes to be implemented within 15 days.”

Kishori Pednekar, group leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “The current seating arrangement in the House is designed to accommodate 250 people, including 227 corporators, civic officials, and staff from the municipal secretary’s department. Now that the number of nominated corporators has increased to 10, where will they be seated? We want the seating plan to clearly differentiate between the ruling party and the Opposition.” Ashraf Azmi, group leader of the Indian National Congress, said, “On the day of the mayoral election, Congress corporators had to stand throughout the proceedings as there were no seats available. Now that the House will start functioning from next week, proper seating arrangements should be made.”

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Established in 1893 with 64 corporators, the Corporation Hall is the heart of the BMC's political and ceremonial life. The House’s strength grew from 64 corporators to 140 in 1963, 170 in 1982, and 227 in 2002, which remains unchanged. After a 2023 revision, the number of nominated corporators increased from five to 10. The hall hosts major proceedings, including the annual budget and general body meetings, where corporators debate policies and pass key resolutions.

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