Nagpur: With the state government’s green signal for a four-member prabhag system, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has kickstarted preparations for the 2025 civic elections by forming an eight-member panel, headed by the Municipal Commissioner, to redraw ward boundaries. The committee includes two Deputy Commissioners along with experts from the Town Planning and IT departments and will work under strict confidentiality.
The panel’s recommendations will be sent to the State Election Commission via the Urban Development Department. A similar exercise was undertaken in 2022 under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which proposed a three-member prabhag system, raising the number of corporators from 151 to 156. However, the process was halted amid legal hurdles and political uncertainty.
Gold Rate
13 June 2025
The new directive mandates the formation of 38 prabhags — 37 with four corporators each and one with three — while retaining the total number of elected corporators at 151. With five nominated members, the overall strength of the civic body will remain 156. This move aligns closely with the 2017 delimitation plan, which had to be shelved following the Mahayuti government’s rise to power in 2022 and the ongoing issues surrounding OBC reservations.
As per the Urban Development Department’s instructions, the delimitation will be based on the 2011 census population of 24 lakh. Although the city’s geographical area has remained static at 227.28 sq km since 2017, voter participation has increased significantly — from 19.86 lakh in 2012 to 22.33 lakh in the 2022 draft roll.
Data from NMC’s electoral records show stability in the Scheduled Caste (SC) voter base at 4.8 lakh since 2017, while Scheduled Tribe (ST) voters grew from 1.48 lakh to 1.88 lakh. The number of polling booths surged from 3,079 in 2012 to 4,560 in 2017, with no further increase expected this time. Notably, female voter registration also saw a marked rise, from 9.63 lakh in 2012 to over 11.07 lakh in the 2022 draft roll.
Political analysts view the renewed delimitation process as a calculated strategy by the ruling alliance to bolster its electoral prospects. With boundary realignments and reservation shifts on the horizon, the 2025 NMC elections are expected to be closely contested.
