A fortnight after the state Cabinet increased the number of elected representatives in civic bodies except Mumbai by at least 17 per cent for the forthcoming elections, the government has added nine new wards to the state capital’s existing 227 electoral segments. While the Congress welcomed the move, the BJP said it was driven by political motives. BMC polls are scheduled to be held early next year. The revised strength of the house in BMC will now be 236 in the full-term elections.

Currently, the number of seats is based on the 2001 Census. Mumbai’s house strength wasn’t revised even after the 2011 Census which showed a population growth of 3.87 per cent. And now since the 2021 Census findings are expected to get delayed further because of the pandemic, the rate of average population growth has been considered to revise the city’s electoral segments. Urban Development minister Eknath Shinde told the media persons after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday that difficulties in managing the thickly populated wards was considered for restructuring. “With this, we can provide better services and balance the development,” he said.