By adbnu564 
Lottery Decides Mumbai Mayor Reservation
Mumbai’s next mayor will be a woman from the general category, following a lottery conducted on Thursday by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department. The draw finalized mayoral reservation categories for Mumbai and 28 other civic bodies where elections took place on January 15.
As a result, eligible women councillors from the general category can now contest for the mayor’s post in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Outcome Disappoints Shiv Sena (UBT)
Meanwhile, the decision disappointed the Shiv Sena (UBT). The party expected the mayor’s post to be reserved for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) woman. Notably, both eligible ST women candidates in Mumbai belong to the Sena (UBT).
Earlier, party chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed hope that Mumbai would again get a mayor from his party. However, the lottery outcome ended those expectations.
BMC Election Results Shape Power Balance
The January 15 BMC elections produced a closely watched result:
- BJP won 89 seats
- Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) secured 29 seats
- Together, the alliance crossed the 114-seat majority mark
- Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats
- MNS and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) won 6 and 1 seats, respectively
Previously, the undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC for 25 consecutive years, from 1997 onward.
Opposition Questions Lottery Procedure
However, Opposition leaders strongly criticised the lottery system.
Former Mumbai mayor and Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar said officials changed the rules without informing political parties. She also argued that since the last two mayors came from the general category, authorities should have reserved the post for the OBC category this time.
Additionally, she claimed the process ignored the ST category.
“We condemn the way the lottery was conducted. The process was fixed,” Pednekar said.
Similarly, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar described the lottery as non-transparent and politically motivated.
State Government Denies Allegations
In response, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal rejected all allegations. She stated that officials conducted the lottery strictly according to legal provisions.
Moreover, the Urban Development Department, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, maintained that the process followed established rules.
Mayoral Reservation Across Maharashtra
Meanwhile, the lottery also decided reservation categories for other civic bodies across Maharashtra.
Women Mayors from General Category
- Mumbai
- Pune
- Dhule
- Nanded-Waghala
- Navi Mumbai
- Malegaon
- Mira-Bhayander
- Nagpur
- Nashik
General Category Mayors
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
- Parbhani
- Sangli–Miraj–Kupwad
- Amravati
- Vasai–Virar
- Solapur
- Pimpri-Chinchwad
- Bhiwandi–Nizampur
Reserved Categories
- Scheduled Caste: Thane
- SC Women: Jalna, Latur
- OBC Women: Jalgaon, Chandrapur, Ahilyanagar, Akola
- OBC: Panvel, Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur, Ulhasnagar
- Scheduled Tribe: Kalyan-Dombivli
How the Mayor Reservation Lottery Works
The lottery decides the reservation category for each mayoral post, such as General, Women, SC, ST, or OBC. After authorities announce the category, eligible councillors file nominations, and the civic body elects the mayor.
Why the Mumbai Mayor Post Matters
Although the mayor’s role is largely ceremonial, the position carries high political value. Mumbai leads India in municipal revenue and infrastructure spending. Therefore, control of the mayor’s office signals broader influence over urban governance.