India, Jan. 20 -- The process for electing the next mayor of the BMC will formally begin on Thursday when the state government's urban development department draws lots to decide the reservation category for the post. The mayoral election will mark the first major political milestone in the BMC's new term, setting the tone for governance and power-sharing in India's richest civic body with a budget of Rs.75,000 crore.

The law stipulates that the mayor's post must be reserved by rotation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Women candidates. It is only after this lottery is conducted that the statutory procedure for the mayoral election can begin.

Following the reservation announcement, a special meeting of ...