The much-awaited results for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections were declared on January 16, but the city of Mumbai does not have a new face for mayor just yet. This is not just because the winning Mahayuti alliance partners, the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, are locked in a tussle over who will get the prized post.
The larger reason is that the mayor is not elected directly by voters. Instead, the post is filled through a separate legal process that begins only after the newly elected civic body is formally constituted.
How do Mayoral elections work for BMC?
Unlike ward-level results, which are declared once votes are counted, the mayor for Bombay’smunicipal corporation is elected by corporators from among themselves. Notably, the post is also subject to reservation by rotation, a step that must be finalised before political parties can even name candidates.
Reservation by rotation refers to a procedure where a particular post is reserved for people belonging to different societal classes on a rotational basis, an Indian Express report stated.
The reservation category determines whether the mayor’s post will be open, reserved for women, or reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Other Backward Classes (OBC).
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The reservation category in Bombay Municipal elections is generally decided through a lottery system where lots are drawn with each category’s name printed on the chit. Until this draw is conducted and officially notified, the election of the mayor cannot take place.
As a result, even after polling and counting are complete, the city may have to wait several days before a mayor is chosen.
How does the reservation system work?
According to the IE report, under laws governing Urban Local Bodies across India, leadership posts such as mayor must be reserved by rotation for SCs, STs and women. In Maharashtra, this framework also includes OBC reservation.
This system flows from the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which granted constitutional status to urban local bodies and mandated social representation in civic leadership. In Maharashtra, the provision is implemented through the Municipal Corporations Act.
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To prevent political manipulation, the reservation is not pre-determined. Instead, it is decided afresh each term through a lottery conducted by the state’s Urban Development Department.
How is the lottery conducted?
The process begins with a formal notification from the Urban Development Department. Officials then prepare a rotation list based on previous terms. A public draw is then held. Once a chit is drawn, the reservation category is finalised and formally notified.
It is only after this step has been notified that the BMC can convene a special meeting of corporators to elect the mayor from among members belonging to the reserved category or the open category as per the lottery.
The mayor is chosen by a simple majority, which in Mumbai means the support of more than 114 corporators in the 227-member House. The last two mayors of Mumbai as per the reservation lottery were from the open general category, the report further stated.
What powers does the Mumbai mayor actually have?
Under the Constitution and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the mayor is the ceremonial head of the civic body and is often described as the city’s “first citizen”. The mayor is elected for a two-and-a-half-year term. The role mainly involves presiding over meetings of the general body, maintaining order during debates, and using a casting vote if there is a tie.
The mayor also represents Mumbai at official functions as the city’s first citizen and acts as a bridge between elected representatives and the administration. However, the mayor does not control civic departments or finances. These powers rest with the Municipal Commissioner, an IAS officer appointed by the state government. |
