In a decisive move to revive the municipal electoral process, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s draft ward structure was published on Friday evening. The draft, seen as a turning point in the city’s civic administration, outlined the election of 111 corporators through 28 multi-member panels.
The system proposed in the draft was markedly different from the earlier arrangement of 111 single-member wards that had been used during the 2015 municipal polls. Under the revised plan, it was suggested that 27 panels would each elect four corporators, while one panel would return three. This panel-based structure was described as being designed to enhance representational equity and streamline governance. It was also believed that campaign strategies, candidate selection, and voter outreach efforts of political parties would be significantly reshaped by this change.
The draft followed years of debate on how Navi Mumbai should be reorganised for the next round of civic polls. In 2022, a recommendation had been made to increase the size of the corporation to 122 wards grouped into 41 panels. That proposal had envisaged 40 panels with three members each and one panel with two. However, widespread opposition had been voiced, especially by leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, who had raised concerns regarding demographic imbalances and shifting boundaries in politically sensitive regions such as Vashi and Nerul. Owing to this resistance, the earlier plan had not been accepted.
The current draft was said to have been prepared on the basis of updated census figures, geographic considerations, and judicial directives. Deputy Commissioner Bhagwat Doifode, who heads the election and property department, was quoted as confirming that the draft was framed in line with the instructions of the State Election Commission and the judiciary.
The document was made available on the NMMC website, at the municipal headquarters, and across eight divisional offices. Objections and suggestions from the public were invited, with the deadline for submissions fixed as September 4. Officials indicated that a wave of feedback was anticipated as citizens, political parties, and other stakeholders studied the boundaries and representation levels set out in the plan.
Statewide municipal elections were projected to be held in December 2025. Because of the limited supply of electronic voting machines, the polls would be conducted in three phases. Navi Mumbai was likely to be included in the final phase, which would follow the Panchayat and Zilla Parishad elections in October and November.
Once finalised, the ward structure would shape the governance framework of Navi Mumbai for the next five years. The introduction of the panel system was expected to have long-lasting implications not only for local representation but also for the balance of political competition in one of Maharashtra’s fastest-growing urban centres.
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