Maharashtra Government Declares January 15, 2026, as a Public Holiday for Municipal Elections

The Maharashtra government has announced a public holiday on January 15, 2026. This holiday applies to 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The order has been issued under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, with powers delegated to the State government through a 1968 Ministry of Home Affairs notification.The BMC, which governs the country's financial capital, commands a massive annual budget of over Rs 74,000 crore and is considered politically significant.

Elections to the BMC and 28 other civic bodies in the state will be held on January 15, and the results will be declared the next day.A total of 1,03,44,315 persons are eligible to vote in the BMC election, including 55,16,707 male voters, 48,26,509 female voters, and 1,099 other voters.In the 2017 civic elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 84 seats. The nomination procedure for elections to the BMC, Asia's largest civic body with a budget of more than ₹74,000 crore for 2025-26, began on December 23, 2025. The candidates were allowed to submit their applications until December 30, 2025. The deadline for withdrawing submissions was January 2, and the final list of candidates was announced on January 3.