Mumbai Street Vendor Polls Awaiting SC’s Nod

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted elections on August 29 to select representatives for the Town Vending Committee (TVC), a governing body aimed at overseeing street vending activities across Mumbai.

The elections, which took place for both the apex city-wide committee and seven regional committees, registered a voter turnout of 49.46%. However, the counting of votes and the declaration of results have been postponed following an order from the Supreme Court of India. All ballot boxes have been securely stored until the court issues further instructions. These elections were organised under the Central Government’s Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, along with the Maharashtra Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2016. The primary objective of these committees is to regulate street vending activities while ensuring fair representation and protection of the rights of the street vendor community.

A total of 237 candidates, comprising 190 men and 47 women, contested for 64 seats across the eight committees. In a notable development, no nominations were filed for 10 seats, leaving them vacant. Furthermore, 17 candidates were declared elected unopposed due to the lack of competing nominations for those positions. The remaining 37 seats, distributed among seven circles and the apex committee, were subject to voting. The election process was facilitated through 67 polling stations located across various municipal wards in Mumbai, accommodating 32,415 registered voters. The voter turnout varied significantly across the seven regional circles. Circle 7 recorded the highest participation rate at 63.51%, followed by Circle 6 at 58.50% and Circle 5 at 52.54%.

Despite the active engagement of the vendor community, the future of these elections remains uncertain until the Supreme Court provides clarity. The court’s decision will not only determine the outcome of the current election but also set a precedent for the regulation and representation of street vendors in Mumbai.