Mumbai, June 11, 2025 :-
The Maharashtra Urban Development Department has officially initiated the ward formation process for upcoming municipal elections across the state. This move marks a significant step toward restoring democratic functioning in 29 municipal corporations, many of which have been operating under administrative rule due to delayed elections.
As part of the new plan, all municipal corporations—except Mumbai—will shift to a four-member ward system. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will retain its current structure of 227 single-member wards. In Mumbai, the BMC commissioner will oversee the ward delimitation exercise, while in other regions, the responsibility will fall either to municipal commissioners or district collectors, depending on the classification of the corporation.
The state has categorized its municipal corporations into four classes based on size and administrative scale. Class A includes Pune and Nagpur. Class B comprises Thane, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Class C consists of Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Kalyan-Dombivli. All remaining 19 corporations fall under Class D. Municipal commissioners will handle ward formation in Classes A through C, while district collectors will manage it in Class D cities.
Once the preliminary ward boundaries are drafted, the maps will be made public for citizen feedback. Residents will have the opportunity to submit suggestions or objections before final boundaries are notified. The State Election Commission has instructed that the entire ward formation process be wrapped up within 30 to 40 days.
This renewed focus on local governance follows a Supreme Court directive issued on May 6, which reinforced the constitutional necessity of holding timely local elections. The apex court also ordered the restoration of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations to the levels that existed prior to the implementation of the Banthia Commission’s recommendations.
At present, hundreds of local bodies across Maharashtra remain without elected representation. These include 248 municipal councils, 147 Nagar Panchayats, 32 out of 34 Zilla Parishads, and 336 out of 351 Panchayat Samitis. The ward formation process is expected to lay the groundwork for long-delayed elections and help bring grassroots democracy back to the forefront of governance in the state
