Maha govt asks ULBs to start drawing ward boundaries

MUMBAI, Maharashtra: The Government of Maharashtra, in an order issued on Tuesday, November 22, has directed the poll-bound 24 municipal corporations to initiate the process of drawing wards as per the Census figure 2011, meaning reverting to ward status in 2017.

The urban development department’s order directed the municipal corporations where the legislative terms are nearing the end to initiate the process to form boundaries for the conduct of elections as per the population figure in 2011.

In Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), this exercise will result in the formation of 227 electoral wards. In August, the newly formed government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cancelled the decision of the previous government to increase the number of wards to 236 from 227 in Mumbai. The new order has restored the 2017 status, where there were only 227 wards in Mumbai.

Around 15 municipal corporations in the state are under the charge of state-appointed administrators, and Mumbai is under the charge of an administrator since March. 

A senior official informed that the process of drawing the wards will take around three months, so the elections could take place in February.

The elections were delayed because Supreme Court quashed the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota, which was restored in July. But Supreme Court directed that all the pending elections should be held without delay.