BMC election 2017: Bigwigs lose wards to new boundaries, quotas

Prominent names who will have to look for new seats include Mayor Snehal Ambekar, Yashodhar Phanse, Rais Shaikh.

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announcing revised ward boundaries and reservation of seats for the upcoming civic polls, several senior corporators, including Mayor Snehal Ambekar, have lost their wards to fresh reservation or new boundaries. These corporators will now be forced to look for other seats to contest the polls.

Ambekar’s ward no 194, in the Parel area, has been divided between two adjoining wards. Also, the ward that was earlier reserved for SC candidates has now been thrown open to the general category. Shiv Sena’s Ambekar, who belongs to the SC category, will probably have to move to the adjoining ward no 195, which is now reserved for SC candidates. “The party will take a decision on it. But we have done a lot of work and people will elect us from any ward,” Ambekar said.

What what else is in the news

Yashodhar Phanse, senior Sena corporator and standing committee chairman, found his ward no 56 (Versova) divided into two. One of the two has been reserved for a woman from the Scheduled Tribe category. “Since the other ward is for the open category, I have a chance to fight from it. Or, I can move to the ward from where I contested in 2007,” said Phanse.

Story continues below this ad

MNS corporator and group leader Sandeep Deshpande’s ward no 185 (Shivaji Park, Dadar) has been reserved for a woman candidate from the open category, along with two wards adjoining it. This is making it difficult for him to find a seat near his own ward. “We have worked hard in our wards and are confident that our candidates will be elected again,” said Deshpande.

BJP group leader and senior corporator Manoj Kotak’s ward no 103 has been split into two. However, one ward is for open category candidates, which could be a safe seat for him. Other BJP corporators affected include Dr Ram Barot, whose ward is now reserved for a woman from the open category, and Vinod Shelar, whose ward is reserved for Other Backward Caste candidates.

Congress corporator and opposition leader Praveen Chheda’s ward no 124 (Kirol Village, Ghatkopar) has been split into four wards. Like Chheda, another senior congress corporator Devendra Amberkar’s ward no 57 (Amboli, Andheri West) has been divided into four wards. “Out of the four, two wards are for the open category. I can contest from these two,” said Chheda.

Samajwadi Party (SP) corporator and group leader Rais Shaikh’s ward no 132 (Kamla Raman Nagar in Govandi) has been reserved for women, as have been all the three adjoining wards where Shaikh has influence. “I was hoping to contest from one of these four wards, but all have been reserved for women. So, I will now have to figure out a ward to contest the polls from,” said Shaikh.

Story continues below this ad

With the new boundaries and quotas putting several corporators in a spot, sources said some would try to field their wives if the wards were reserved for women. “All the corporators will have to work hard for the election, considering the addition and deletion of areas from the existing wards. It will not be as easy as the 2012 civic polls,” said a corporator.

Of the 227 wards, 15 are reserved for Schedule Caste category and two for the Scheduled Tribe candidates. While 32 are for women from the OBC category, 30 are for the OBC category. Besides, 74 wards are reserved for women from the open category. The remaining 75 seats are for open category candidates.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram