After the state government issued the resolution on Tuesday, confirming that the number of electoral wards for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the 2025 polls would remain 227, the BMC’s election department is set to start ground visits to decide the geographical boundaries for the ward demarcation.

As per the Supreme Court’s order on May 6, the civic election has to be conducted within four months, and it is expected that the ward demarcation and further reservation of wards will be finalised before September 16- the next hearing on ongoing petitions on civic bodies elections.

Once the ground visits are completed, it is likely that the existing boundaries of the electoral wards in Mumbai might change due to new roads and other developments in the last seven years, but the total number of wards will remain the same. The 2011 population census will be considered.

“The ground visits will be conducted by the BMC’s election department to decide the geographical boundaries of electoral wards, and if needed, help will be taken from other departments. As per the state government’s orders, all roads, rivers, mountains, railway tracks etc will be visited to decide the ward boundaries. Considering changes on the ground, like new roads, drains expansion, new tracks or other developments, the ward boundaries may change. However, it will only be learnt after the visits are completed,” said a senior BMC officer.

The civic staff will visit the ward for demarcation from the northern side to the northeast and then from the east to the west (clockwise). “Even if there is a change in ward boundaries, it will be within a 10 – 12 % margin as per the government order. But the number of electoral wards will be 227,” the officer added.

BMC Commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani said, "Minor changes in the ward boundaries cannot be ruled out." As per the GR, the BMC Commissioner will submit the draft of the ward delimitation to the state election commission (SEC) and after the SEC approves it, suggestions and objections will be sought. After considering them, the BMC will decide the final ward delimitation and again submit to the SEC. After the SEC’s approval, the ward delimitation will be published. The entire procedure is expected to take around two months.

After the ward demarcation is finalised, the process for ward reservation will begin. The apex court has directed to continue the OBC reservation in the local body polls as it existed before 2022. The 2025 BMC elections are expected to be held in October 2025.

The last BMC elections were held in 2017. The corporators' term ended in 2022 and since then corporation is under the administrative rule.