BJP alleges gerrymandering to benefit rivals at Navi Mumbai ward plan hearing

The hearing saw a massive turnout, with former corporators, political leaders, and agitated residents, including a bus full of women from Turbhe, swarming the venue to voice their dissent.

Navi Mumbai: The Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha in Vashi became a political battleground on Thursday, as tempers ran high during a public hearing on the controversial draft ward boundaries for the upcoming Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections.

Navi Mumbai, India - Sept. 11, 2025:Navi Mumbai ward plan hearing at Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha in Vashi, in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, September 11, 2025. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

The hearing saw a massive turnout, with former corporators, political leaders, and agitated residents, including a bus full of women from Turbhe, swarming the venue to voice their dissent.

A staggering 2,500 objections and suggestions have been filed against the civic body’s draft ward structure, released on August 22. The controversy stems from the proposal to shift to 28 multi-member panels that will elect a total of 111 corporators. This is a significant departure from the 111 single-member ward system used in the 2015 municipal polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the redrawn boundaries are a blatant act of gerrymandering, designed to favour the Shiv Sena, its ally in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, at the expense of BJP strongholds. Fingers have been pointed at deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the state’s urban development department, with supporters of veteran BJP leader Ganesh Naik claiming a deliberate attempt to dilute his influence.

The primary grievance echoed by objectors was the seemingly arbitrary division of communities, which they claim violates the Election Commission of India’s (ECI’s) own parameters of using clear geographical markers like nullahs, roads, and railway tracks.

“How can people of one area go to another area’s corporator for getting their work done?” said Rajesh Patil, the BJP Navi Mumbai chief, citing the example of Juinagar residents having to cross Sanpada and Turbhe to reach parts of their new ward in Vashi.

A major point of contention is the inclusion of 14 new villages into the NMMC limits without increasing the number of wards from 111. “Navi Mumbai taxpayer money should be used only for Navi Mumbai,” said former BJP corporator Navin Gavte. “Why should it be spent on the 14 villages?”

Responding to the allegations, Shiv Sena Navi Mumbai chief Kishore Patkar dismissed the BJP’s complaints as a case of “the pot calling the kettle black.” He suggested the BJP was blaming the Shiv Sena to hide its own earlier manipulations. “It seems karma is striking. They deserve it,” he said.

Patkar insisted that the process was democratic and that even his party’s corporators had filed objections, as every ward was affected by the restructuring. On the issue of the 14 villages, he countered that the state government would provide the necessary funds for their development.