Mumbai: The civic elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are set to be announced today in a press conference by the State Election Commission, Maharashtra. The announcement will specify the election dates, marking the end of a prolonged period during which the city has been governed without elected representatives.
The last BMC elections were held on 21 February 2017. The term of the elected body ended in March 2022 but polls were not held at that time. As a result, the BMC has been functioning under an administrator-appointed structure rather than through elected corporators.
What Caused BMC Election Delay?
Delays in civic polls in the State are primarily due to the OBC quota issue and the delimitation of Mumbai wards. On July 21, 2022, the Supreme Court permitted a 27% OBC reservation in local elections but mandated that the SEC should not re-notify elections in 367 local bodies, including the BMC.
Following this, the SEC reclassified BMC wards, designating 156 seats for the general category, 15 for SC, 2 for ST, and 63 for OBC, prompting a warning from the SC. Additionally, the redistricting of BMC wards followed a decision to increase seats from 227 to 236, which was halted by the Shinde government in August 2022. The Bombay High Court upheld this decision in April 2023, with further challenges ongoing in the Supreme Court.
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How Has BMC Been Functioning?
During this interim period, the Municipal Commissioner has assumed the responsibilities normally vested in the elected body. The corporation, normally headed by the Mayor and elected representatives, has operated under administrative rule. Some observers have raised concerns about the absence of an elected voice for residents and the consequent impact on local accountability and representation.
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The delay in holding elections was attributed to several factors. One key issue was the challenge of ward delimitation and concerns over the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. Additionally, legal cases in the Supreme Court regarding the number of wards and councillors per ward stalled the process. The number of electoral wards for the upcoming polls has been confirmed to stay at 227 for the BMC.
Upcoming BMC Elections
With the press conference scheduled for Tuesday 4 PM, citizens and political parties alike await the formal election dates. The move is expected to kick-start the election machinery, candidate filing, and campaigning for one of the country’s richest municipal bodies. Once the dates are announced, the election process will begin in right earnest.
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