The long-pending Wadala Housing Redevelopment Project has finally received approval from the Municipal Corporation after a decisive voting process on Friday, with the ruling BJP–Shiv Sena alliance securing a clear majority.
The proposal was passed with 112 votes in favour and 79 against, marking a significant turnaround after the ruling group had faced an unexpected setback in the previous week due to insufficient numbers in the House.
The redevelopment plan had originally been tabled before the Municipal Corporation on April 30, when Mayor Ritu Tawde attempted to pass it as an urgent item. However, the opposition demanded a formal vote, and the process went ahead without a confirmed majority, resulting in the ruling alliance suffering a defeat at that time.
Following the incident, senior BJP leadership, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reportedly took serious note of the outcome. In response, the proposal was reintroduced on Friday as part of regular business proceedings, with the ruling alliance issuing a whip to ensure the presence of all its corporators and avoid another setback.
When the opposition again called for a vote, Mayor Ritu Tawde accepted the request and initiated the voting process. Corporators were instructed to register their votes by signing separate documents indicating support or opposition to the proposal.
The voting was conducted within the Municipal Corporation hall under strict procedural control, with entry restricted during the counting process. Officials stated that only corporators present at the time of voting were eligible to participate, and the hall doors were closed to prevent disruptions.
After counting, the result showed 112 votes in favour of the proposal and 79 against it, leading the mayor to formally declare the Wadala redevelopment plan as approved by majority.
According to civic data, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has 227 elected corporators eligible to vote. However, due to the passing of BJP corporator Naka Kerkar, the effective strength stands at 226. Of these, 121 belong to the ruling BJP–Shiv Sena alliance and 105 to the opposition.
During the session, 9 corporators from the ruling side and 26 from the opposition were absent, which still left the ruling coalition with sufficient numbers to secure the approval of the redevelopment project.
