Draw for municipal electoral ward reservation unlucky for Sena’s Kalyan chief

Kalyan: The reservation draw for the upcoming Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) election was announced on Tuesday at Acharya Atre Rangmandir hall in Kalyan. The event was held under the chairmanship of municipal commissioner Abhinav Goel, with additional commissioner Yogesh Godse and municipal secretary Kishor Shelke present on the occasion.Shiv Sena's Kalyan (West) city chief Ravi Patil has suffered a major setback due to the reservation draw. His son, Aniruddha Patil, who serves as the deputy city chief of Yuva Sena, was an aspirant from Ward No. 5 in place of his father, which includes the Birla College, Khadakpada, and Waylenagar areas. He had been working in the area for several years with an eye on the upcoming elections.Due to the reservation draw assigning the ward to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, OBC (Women), and General (Women) categories, Aniruddha Patil will now have to look for another ward.A total of 122 members will be elected to the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. The election will be conducted under the multi-member ward system, consisting of 31 wards—two wards with three seats each and twenty-nine wards with four seats each.Of the total 122 seats, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Castes, three for Scheduled Tribes, 32 for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and 75 are general seats. Out of these general seats, 61 are reserved for women.Among the women's quota, six seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (Women), two for Scheduled Tribe (Women), 16 for OBC (Women), and 37 for General (Women) categories. The reservation draw for these categories was conducted during the event.The details of the reservation draw will be sent to the State Election Commission for approval. Once approved, the draft reservation list will be published on Nov 17, 2025. Citizens can file objections and suggestions regarding the draft from Nov 17 to Nov 24, 2025, at the election department's headquarters, said Goel.This is the first time the KDMC election will be held using the multi-member panel system, where each ward will have A, B, C, and D panels. However, the specific reservation distribution within each panel has not yet been clarified, creating confusion among aspiring candidates. Several former corporators have raised objections, including Vaijanti Gholap, arguing that in the panel system, influential and wealthy party members are likely to benefit, as they can secure nominations for multiple family members. Many grassroots workers have expressed concern that this could deprive genuine party workers of the opportunity to contest.