Gagrani orders scrutiny of draft voter list, requests compliance with door-to-door checks

As the 2025 municipal elections draw closer the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed civic officials to take serious note of all objections regarding the draft voter list, while also urging citizens and housing societies to fully cooperate with election officials during door-to-door checks

MUMBAI: As the 2025 municipal elections draw closer the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed civic officials to take serious note of all objections regarding the draft voter list, while also urging citizens and housing societies to fully cooperate with election officials during door-to-door checks.

Mumbai, India – Mar 20, 2024: I. Q. Chahal handing over charges to newly appointed Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani at the BMC office, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

According to the BMC, the draft ward-wise voter list, published by the State Election Commission, has been prepared based on the Assembly voter rolls as of the qualifying date, July 1, 2025. Citizens may file objections or suggestions until December 3, and municipal commissioner and district election officer Bhushan Gagrani has emphasized that every submission must be examined thoroughly and transparently.

In the draft list, names that appear more than once have been marked with a “**” symbol. To verify whether these entries belong to the same person or different individuals, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other election staff are conducting detailed checks of voter details including their name, gender, address and photograph. If entries appear identical, officials are contacting voters directly for clarification.

In cases where multiple entries are linked to one person, the voter must submit an application stating their preferred polling centre, which will then be allotted by the BMC within the ward.

However, the civic body has noted instances where individuals and housing societies have not cooperated with officials engaged in this verification process. The BMC has appealed to all citizens, as well as housing societies, to extend full support to the visiting election personnel to ensure the accuracy of the voter list. The civic body added that formal letters would be sent to society chairpersons and secretaries reinforcing this request.

At a review meeting held on Thursday at the Penguin Enclosure building in Byculla Zoo, Gagrani told civic officials that any complaint about a voter being included in the wrong ward must be immediately verified through a spot inspection by the competent authority, followed by a prompt and transparent decision.

The meeting, chaired by Gagrani, was attended by additional municipal commissioner (City) Dr Ashwini Joshi, special duty officer (Elections) Vijay Balamwar, senior district election officers, zonal deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners from all wards, and officials assigned to the voter list scrutiny process.

Joshi said that several objections had already been submitted and asked ward assistant commissioners to personally verify each one. She also stressed that citizens and political representatives must be heard patiently and that all procedures must strictly follow the State Election Commission guidelines.

Balamwar said that voter assistance centres have been set up at the BMC headquarters and all 24 ward offices to provide information and receive objections.

According to the State Election Commission’s directions, errors such as misspellings, incorrect gender entries, accidental inclusion of voters from another ward, omission of eligible voters whose names appear in the assembly rolls as of July 1, 2025, or names of deceased persons must marked and corrected during preparation of the final ward-wise voter list. If any voter is found to have been placed in the wrong ward, they must be shifted to the correct one.