Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Now fate looms over BMC elections

After the assembly election, the discussion of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election has started. Due to the resounding success of the Legislative Assembly, it is now being predicted that the Mahayuti will seize the opportunity and hold elections at the earliest.

The term of corporators of BMC expired on March 7, 2022. Almost two and a half years have passed since the term of the Municipal Corporation. The richest municipal corporation in the country has been running for two and a half years without people's representatives. Currently, the BMC is under the administrator's rule. Two budgets of this municipal corporation have been presented by the administrators so far. 

Works worth crores were approved, mandates were given. The municipal elections were expected to be held in February 2022. But due to major developments in the politics of the state in these two years, the municipal elections were also stalled. But now the assembly elections have been held and the BJP and the Mahayuti seized huge success. Therefore, there is a possibility that the municipal election will be held soon.

It was predicted that the election would be held at the earliest as there is a favourable environment for the BJP and the Mahayuti. It is also expected that this election will be held before the month of May. Ahead of the assembly elections, the fate of the municipal elections was uncertain. 

The decision of 227 wards will be important

The decision regarding the 227 wards significantly impacted the municipal elections. On the eve of Diwali in 2021, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government decided to increase the number of wards in Mumbai from 227 to 236. At the time, the BJP accused Shiv Sena leaders of manipulating the increase in wards to benefit their party. In July 2022, OBC reservation came into effect, leading to the reservation being removed for the second time. However, some BJP representatives continued to strongly demand reverting the number of wards to 227. Ultimately, the High Court ruled to retain the number of wards at 227.