Rethinking Urban Governance in India

Rethinking Urban Governance in India 2025: Why Mumbai, Delhi & Bengaluru still lack real Mayors, failed 74th Amendment, BMC-BBMP delays & the urgent need for directly elected powerful Mayors.

Table of Contents

As Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani prepares to become New York City’s Mayor in 2026, India’s own megacities – Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad – continue to function without powerful, directly elected, and accountable Mayors. In 2025, the world’s fastest-growing major economy still treats its cities as mere departments of state governments.

Indian cities generate nearly 70% of GDP and will house 50% of the population by 2035, yet they remain institutionally weak, politically controlled, and financially starved. This is the story of India’s “Missing Mayor” crisis – and why 2025-26 is the turning point for urban governance reform.

The Core Problem: Indian Mayors Have No Real Power

In most Indian cities, the Mayor is:

Indirectly elected by corporators (not citizens)
Serves only a 1-year ceremonial term
Has zero control over budget, staff, or major projects
Reports to the state-appointed Municipal Commissioner (IAS officer)

Real power lies with:

Chief Minister’s office
State bureaucracy
Parastatal agencies (DDA, BDA, MMRDA, etc.)
Local MLAs and MPs who dominate civic decisions

Result? Delayed projects, overflowing drains, traffic chaos, and zero direct accountability to citizens.

74th Amendment 1992: The Promise That Was Never Kept

The 74th Constitutional Amendment promised:

Regular municipal elections every 5 years
Devolution of 18 functions (water, roads, sanitation, urban planning)
State Finance Commissions for fair fund sharing
Empowered urban local bodies (ULBs)

Reality after 33 years:

Elections routinely delayed (BMC: no election since 2017; BBMP: none since 2020)
Only 3 states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) have reasonably strong Mayors
Most states transferred 0–2 of the 18 functions
Parastatals still control water, transport, and planning

2025 “Reforms” That Changed Nothing

City	Recent Move	Real Motive (Experts)	Status in Dec 2025
Bengaluru (BBMP)	Split into 5 corporations	Delay elections & break opposition	Elections still pending
Hyderabad (GHMC)	Merged 50+ municipalities	Centralise ruling party control	Mayor weaker than before
Mumbai (BMC)	Elections postponed repeatedly	Avoid anti-incumbency	Run by administrator since 2022

These are political tactics, not governance solutions.

India vs World: The Mayor Power Gap (2025)

City	Mayor Term	Directly Elected?	Executive Powers	Controls Budget?
New York	4 years	Yes	Yes	Yes
London	4 years	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tokyo	4 years	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mumbai/Delhi/Bengaluru	1 year	No	No	No

What India Must Do: The 2026 Urban Reform Roadmap

Directly Elected Mayor with a fixed 5-year term
Mayor-in-Council System – Mayor appoints executive team (no CM interference)
Remove MLAs/MPs from municipal corporations
Merge or dissolve parastatals – water, transport, planning under elected Mayor
Guaranteed fiscal devolution – minimum 10–15% of state GST to ULBs automatically
Freedom to raise local taxes (property, professional, entertainment)
Mandatory elections – automatic President’s Rule on ULBs if delayed beyond 6 months

Why Reform Can’t Wait Anymore

Climate disasters demand agile city leadership (Chennai floods, Bengaluru water crisis, Delhi smog)
₹7+ lakh crore Smart Cities & AMRUT funds are being wasted without strong local bodies
Young urban voters (Gen Z + Millennials) want accountability at the ward level
Global investors avoid cities with unstable governance

Final Takeaway

India cannot become a $10 trillion economy with 19th-century urban governance. The era of Chief Ministers remotely controlling cities must end. Citizens, civil society, and the judiciary must force states to implement the 74th Amendment in letter and spirit.

It’s time for Indian cities to finally get real Mayors – powerful, elected for 5 years, and answerable only to the people.