Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday completed hearings on objections and suggestions regarding the draft ward formation for the upcoming civic elections, marking an important step in the pre-poll process.
The hearings were held at the civic headquarters under the supervision of Shravan Hardikar, Managing Director of Maharashtra Metro Rail, who was appointed as the authorised officer by the State Urban Development Department. Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari remained present throughout the proceedings, which ran smoothly from 11 am to 6.30 pm.
Gold Rate
10 Sept 2025
Over 100 objections filed
The draft structure of 38 Prabhags (wards) was published on August 22, with the NMC inviting objections and suggestions until September 4. A total of 115 objections were filed, of which:
• 60 related to boundary changes,
• 25 to naming of localities,
• 16 to alignment with Assembly constituencies and voter lists, and
• 7 to reservations and the multi-member Prabhag system.
Although notices were issued to all complainants, 15 did not attend. The remaining objectors, including political representatives and individuals, were given a full hearing and their statements officially recorded.
Parties, leaders raise strong objections
Major political parties, Congress, BJP, BSP, and NCP, raised objections ranging from corrections in ward boundaries and shifting of localities to relocation of polling booths and calls to scrap the four-member Prabhag system.
Prominent leaders who filed objections included Krishna Khopde, Prakash Bhoyar, Vijay alias Pintu Zalke, and Avinash Thakre (all BJP), as well as Abhijeet Wanjari (Congress). Maximum objections were registered for Prabhag 16, represented by Bunty Kukde.
Some citizens strongly objected to the multi-member Prabhag system, arguing that it violates the principle of “one person, one vote” under India’s democratic framework. They contended that casting four votes in a single ward election undermines constitutional norms of adult franchise.
Final report to State Government
Hardikar will now prepare a comprehensive report of the hearings and submit it to the Urban Development Department. The final notification of ward boundaries for Nagpur is expected in October 2025.
Senior officials, including Additional Commissioner Vaishnavi B, Deputy Commissioners Vijaya Bankar and Milind Meshram, Deputy Director of Town Planning Girish Godbole, and Executive Engineers Sunil Uike and Ritesh Lokhande, attended the hearings.
Civic polls pending since 2022
Nagpur has been without an elected civic body since March 2022, when the last general body completed its term. Since then, the NMC has been under the charge of an administrator.
The Supreme Court’s directive to expedite municipal elections forced the State Urban Development Department to ask civic bodies to release draft ward structures. Nagpur’s draft largely mirrors the 2017 model, with only minor modifications.
