Mumbai: The BMC’s ward reservation lottery process was organised at Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra West on Tuesday. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with other officers and additional municipal commissioners Dr Sanjiv Kumar and Sanjog Kabre, were present to monitor the process that was praised for being transparent. It was conducted on the podium; a projector and big screens were set up for the public to watch the proceedings.
There are 236 electoral wards in Mumbai and 50 per cent (118) have been reserved for women, seven for Scheduled caste (SC), and eight for SC women candidates. Two seats have been kept for Scheduled tribe candidates (ST), with one seat for ST woman candidate.
The electoral wards which were not reserved for women, SC and ST in the last three elections have been kept reserved in this election. Further, those wards which were reserved for women, SC and ST in the last three elections have been kept for open candidates for this election.
After the Supreme Court directive, the State Election Commission (SEC) sped up the process. The draft of ward reservation will be published on June 1. Thereafter, suggestions and objections will be called from the general public until June 6, to be submitted at 24 administrative wards of the BMC. The final draft would be submitted to the SEC on June 13.
