After the reservation draw for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections was announced, the ward picture has become clear for candidates. Although the reservations have been redrawn this year, the wards of many senior and experienced former corporators have now been reserved, forcing them to search for nearby or alternative wards.
This change affects several key figures, including former Leader of the Opposition Ravi Raja, former Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav, and former Mayor Milind Vaidya. However, some former corporators have retained the same reservation category as before.
The reservation draw, conducted on Tuesday, has reshuffled wards across party lines affecting members of the BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction), and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). These shifts may compel some leaders to change constituencies, creating a risk of internal rebellion or discontent within their parties.
Among those whose wards have been newly reserved are Neel Somaiya (BJP), son of former MP Kirit Somaiya; Asif Zakaria (Congress), a veteran corporator from Bandra West; Manoj Kotak (BJP), a former MP and corporator; Mangesh Satamkar (Shiv Sena – Shinde faction); and Ashish Chemburkar (Shiv Sena – Thackeray faction).
Additionally, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s brother Makarand Narwekar and his sister-in-law Harshita Narwekar have both had their wards reserved, though reports suggest a possible exchange between their wards. MLA Parag Alwani’s wife, Jyoti Alwani, and MLA Rais Shaikh, who is also a former corporator, have seen their wards reserved as well.
Former Corporators Whose Wards Are Now Reserved
Former Corporator | Previous Category | Current Category |
Jyoti Alwani (BJP) | General | OBC |
Asif Zakaria (Congress) | General | General (Women) |
Manoj Kotak (BJP) | General | General (Women) |
Neel Somaiya (BJP) | General | OBC (Women) |
Ramesh Korgaonkar (Shiv Sena – Thackeray) | General | General (Women) |
Mangesh Satamkar (Shiv Sena – Shinde) | OBC | General (Women) |
Ravi Raja (BJP) | General | OBC (Women) |
Milind Vaidya (Shiv Sena – Thackeray) | General | OBC |
Ashish Chemburkar (Shiv Sena – Thackeray) | General | General (Women) |
Yashwant Jadhav (Shiv Sena – Shinde) | General | General (Women) |
Rais Shaikh (AIMIM) | OBC | General |
Atul Shah (BJP) | General | General (Women) |
Makarand Narwekar (BJP) | General | General (Women) |
Those Unaffected by Reservation Changes
The following leaders’ wards have not been affected by the new reservation draw:
Rakhi Jadhav (NCP – Sharad Pawar faction), Geeta Gawli (Akhil Bharatiya Sena), former Mayor Kishori Pednekar (Shiv Sena – Thackeray), former Mayor Shraddha Jadhav, former Deputy Mayor Hemangi Worlikar, and former BJP Group Leader Prabhakar Shinde.
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