BMC finalises ward boundaries ahead of polls

Number of wards unchanged at 227; boundary adjustments largely localised; number of polling booths increased

Bombay Municipal corporation headquarters in Mumbai…HT Archives (Hindustan Times)

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has completed a milestone in its electoral preparations with the finalisation of ward boundaries. The official notification detailing the delimitation of Mumbai’s 227 municipal wards was published on Monday, October 6, marking the end of weeks of review and public consultations.

Following the release of the draft ward map earlier this year, the BMC had invited citizens to submit objections and suggestions. This year, the civic body received 494 responses, substantially fewer than the nearly 800 received during the 2017 civic elections.

Although many residents sought boundary adjustments or raised concerns about polling booths and reservations, the overall number of wards remains unchanged, at 227, consistent with the last elections held in February 2017. While certain boundaries have been adjusted at a micro level, the structure of the electoral map has not undergone any major changes.

“Most of the feedback centred on changes to include and exclude certain areas in the boundary of the ward,” a senior BMC official explained. “But there were proposals to increase the number of polling booths and adjustments for reservations.”

He said about half the suggestions were incorporated, while repetitive or irrelevant inputs were set aside.

The senior civic official claimed that the relatively lower number of objections compared to 2017 suggests greater public acceptance of this year’s draft map, as well as improved efficiency in the delimitation process. Many issues that had arisen in the previous cycle had been resolved, contributing to a smoother consultation phase this time.

After the revised ward boundaries were finalised, they were submitted to the State Election Commission (SEC) and the state Urban Development Department (UDD) for approval. The SEC granted its sanction just ahead of October 6, paving the way for the BMC to publish the final notification and updated ward maps on its website.

Although the broad layout remains intact, some localised changes have been made to ensure fairer distribution of the population across wards. These include minor adjustments in geographical coverage, redistribution of voter clusters, and the addition of polling booths in areas where voters previously faced logistical challenges. Officials said these changes will not significantly alter the electoral landscape of the city.

The timing of the final notification is critical. According to BMC sources, the civic elections are expected to take place by mid-January 2026, in line with a Supreme Court order that extended the deadline for local body elections in Maharashtra to January 31, 2026. With the delimitation process now complete, the city’s political machinery is expected to kick into high gear.

As the country’s richest municipal corporation in India, with a budget even surpassing those of some small states, control over the BMC carries immense financial and political influence. The finalised ward boundaries will serve as the basis for political strategies, candidate selection and electoral alliances.