NMC's ward structure draft with minor tweaks by Aug 5

Time of India

a day ago

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has finalised a draft of its new ward structure with only minor changes, which will be submitted to the state's urban development department by August 5.
Despite retaining the earlier four-member-per-ward system used in 2017 civic polls, the rising population and emergence of new localities have led to growing speculation among political parties and voters about how the final ward boundaries will look.
The NMC administration has been functioning under an appointed administrator after the elected civic body's term ended on March 6, 2022.
The NMC's draft has already received approval and signatures of the internal committee.
Once submitted, it will be open to objections and suggestions from political parties and the general public. This phase will offer a clearer picture of any adjustments made, particularly those that could influence the electoral prospects of key players in the city.
The 2017 elections were held under a four-member ward system, with 37 wards having four corporators each and one ward electing three members — bringing the total to 151 corporators.
The same ward structure is expected to be continued for the upcoming elections.
BJP, which has ruled NMC for three consecutive terms, is working to maintain its dominance. In 2017, the party won a commanding 108 seats, followed by Congress with 29, BSP with 12, Shiv Sena with 2, and NCP with 1.
As per electoral norms, following the announcement of the draft ward structure, a lottery will be held to determine reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women.
Of the proposed 156 seats in the civic body, 50% will be reserved for women. Tentatively, 12 seats are expected to be reserved for SC women and 6 for ST women.
The State Election Commission recently reviewed poll readiness in Nagpur division and suggested a three-phase election process. Local leaders expect elections to be held by February 2026, possibly after municipal council and zilla parishad polls. Nonetheless, political parties and aspiring candidates have already begun preparations on the ground.