Navi Mumbai’s final ward map fails to satisfy, legal battle on the anvil

The final notification of NMMC wards, issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), was published in the Maharashtra Government gazette on October 6

Navi Mumbai: A row has erupted in Navi Mumbai over the final notification of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) ward boundaries, with former BJP minister Ganesh Naik and his supporters accusing the urban development department headed by Shiv Sena chief and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde of deliberately redrawing ward boundaries to fragment their support base. Other parties, including from the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), have levelled similar allegations while Naik’s supporters have announced plans to move court, setting the stage for a legal battle even before ballots are cast for the municipal polls.

Navi Mumbai’s final ward map fails to satisfy, legal battle on the anvil

The final notification of NMMC wards, issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), was published in the Maharashtra Government gazette on October 6.

“Some corrections have been made in the final notification but there are still discrepancies. Ward boundaries have been redrawn to benefit a particular political party. It is an attempt to steal the election,” said former mayor Sagar Naik, Ganesh Naik’s nephew. “We will seek justice in court, which will give a suitable rebuke to them.”

The draft ward plan, released on August 22, 2025, replaced 111 single-member wards with 28 multi-member panels — 27 panels electing four corporators each, and one electing three.

The plan drew an unprecedented 2,511 objections and suggestions, the highest in the state, with Naik’s supporters accounting for a significant portion of the responses.

The SEC subsequently incorporated several changes in the ward plan based on suggestions and objections. But following publication of the final notification, leaders across parties complained of gaothans being clubbed with high-rise housing complexes, industrial belts being merged with residential clusters, and families split across panels. In some areas, voters have been assigned distant polling booths, they said.

“We are glad that Nerul village has been clubbed together in the final notification. But the ward has been divided into two ward offices. Such discrepancies are there at several places,” alleged Namdeo Bhagat, NCP’s Navi Mumbai president.

Objections have surfaced within the Shiv Sena too, with former deputy mayor Ashok Gawde claiming that natural boundaries had been ignored in Nerul, and gaothans and nodes had been clubbed together although their issues were very different.

“Mixing them doesn’t make sense and will result in disturbances,” Gawde said.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Vijay Chougule said, “My area, which had Chinchpada and Yadav Nagar together, is now divided. Who should we accuse of being partisan?”

Former BJP Navi Mumbai chief Ramchandra Gharat said, “While a correction has been made in my area (Turbhe) following massive objections, we are still not satisfied. In several places, there are discrepancies on purpose, where politics has been played.”

Former mayor Sudhakar Sonawane said since this was the first time that NMMC would have a multi-panel system, some people were bound to be unhappy.

“Parties can go to court, but independents like me have to go to the people based on our work,” he said.

Navi Mumbai Shiv Sena chief Kishore Patkar dismissed allegations of bias, “Some people have the habit of crying, complaining and making baseless allegations. Even our areas have been affected, which is natural as the EC has to take care of so many parameters. We will not cry and instead fight for Navi Mumbai residents and the common man,” Patkar said.

Ravindra Sawant, the Congress’ Navi Mumbai spokesperson, alleged that the BJP and Shiv Sena had conspired to manipulate ward boundaries.

“They seem to have reached an understanding of one hitting out and the other crying,” Sawant said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) upneta (deputy leader) Vitthal More concurred, saying, “It seems both parties have conspired together for their benefit.”

With the Naik camp preparing to challenge the decision legally and the Shinde Sena insisting on immediate polls, Navi Mumbai’s civic elections will be fought as much over boundaries as over ballots.