Maharashtra Local Body Elections 2026 Dates Announced: The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday announced that polling for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, will be held on January 15. Counting of votes will take place on January 16. The nomination process will begin on 23 December and continue until 30 December. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on 31 December. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is 2 January 2026. The allotment of election symbols and final list of candidates will be published on 3 January 2026.
For this municipal election, the State Election Commission said that they will be using the voter list as of the notified date of July 1, 2025.
The Supreme Court has directed the State Election Commission to complete all local body elections by January 31, 2026, as these polls have been due since 2022.
The BMC polls are expected to see a direct contest between two major alliances in the state. The ruling Mahayuti comprises the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. The main opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, includes the Indian National Congress, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP faction. After two decades apart, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have come together following a row over Hindi imposition and likely to contest the BMC polls together.
After a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and victory in the Assembly polls, the Mahayuti will aim to strengthen its hold over the BMC. The MVA will attempt to challenge the alliance and make a political comeback in the state.
(With inputs from ANI)