BMC moves to add nine more wards after receiving Maharashtra government's notification

Officials said most wards may be increased in the suburbs as the population there has increased significantly

The civic body on Friday received the state government's notification to add nine electoral wards to the existing 227 and the state election commission's (SEC) letter, too, asking to submit the restructuring plan, said officials. The BMC will submit the plan for the restructuring of the wards to the SEC within a week. However, it will take at least a month to get the plan finalised, said officials.

On November 10, the state Cabinet took the decision to increase the number of electoral wards to 236 from 227 for the upcoming BMC polls. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari approved the proposal on November 29. "The BMC has received the notification from the state government. We are ready with the plan of restructuring of the wards. We will submit it to the SEC next week," said Suresh Kakani, BMC additional commissioner.

Dissolution slated on Mar 8

The current civic house is scheduled to be dissolved on March 8. Generally, the BMC elections take place in February and the selection of mayor happens before March 8.

Officials said the finalisation of the restructuring plan would take at least a month, as it needs the SEC's in-principle approval. Thereafter, the BMC needs to give the public 15 days for suggestions and objections, they added.

There is also the matter of reservation of wards for women, Scheduled Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that during the last civic elections, suggestions/objections for ward restructuring and reservation were called simultaneously to speed up the process. The same procedure may be adopted this time as well. Even then, a month will be needed to finalise the plan.

Delay of three months

Last time, the wards were restructured based on the census of 2011, and the process had started on September 7. This time around, the procedure has been delayed by almost three months.

There are speculations that the elections would be pushed to April-May and the new civic house will be in place before the next monsoon. In that case, the state might extend the tenure of the current house, or the administration will look after the work of the BMC after March 8.