Lottery To Decide Mumbai's New Mayor, City To Wait Days After BMC Polls

Mumbai: Mumbai is set for an unusual wait to get its new Mayor. Despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections being over, the mayoral poll has not been scheduled yet.

The mayor isn’t chosen directly by voters. Instead, the 227 newly elected corporators elect one of their own. Before they can do that, the reservation category for the mayor’s seat has to be decided. That’s done through a lottery draw, not a vote. Until that draw is officially notified, parties can’t nominate candidates. 

What exactly is this lottery about?

The mayor’s post in urban local bodies like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is subject to reservation by rotation. This system aims to ensure leadership opportunities for different social groups, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and women, on a rotating basis. The lottery picks which category the next mayoral post will be reserved for. Only after this draw can the formal mayoral election among corporators begin.

Officials say the state government has not yet formally announced the reservation category for Mumbai’s Mayor. Without that notification, the election process cannot move forward. As a result, the city continues without an elected Mayor, even as the new BMC House is in place.

How does the lottery system work?

The reservation for the Mayor’s post is determined through a lottery system conducted by the state. Slips indicating different categories are placed together, and one is picked at random. The selected category becomes the reservation for the Mayor’s term.

Only councillors who fall under that category can contest the election. This system is meant to ensure rotation and representation across terms, but it also means political parties must wait before finalising their candidates.

When is the mayoral poll likely to be held?

According to officials, once the reservation category is announced, the Mayor’s election can be held quickly. Reports suggest January 28 is being looked at as a possible date, but this depends entirely on the state’s notification.

The election will be conducted through a secret ballot among elected corporators. The Mayor is chosen from within the BMC House and serves a term of two-and-a-half years.