BMC Election 2026: Officials Warn Against Exceeding Poll Expense Limits, Ask To Maintain Separate Bank Accounts; Surveillance Tightened

Candidates contesting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Elections 2026 have been instructed to maintain a day-to-day record of their election-related expenses starting from the date of nomination filing. This directive was shared during a meeting of the Election Expenditure Monitoring Team held at the BMC headquarters. Assistant Commissioner (Assessment and Collection) Gajanan Bellale addressed the officials and highlighted the importance of financial transparency during elections. He stressed that accurate documentation of all campaign expenses is mandatory and will be closely scrutinised to ensure compliance with election rules and spending limits.

To strengthen oversight, the civic administration has set up ward-level Election Expenditure Monitoring Teams across Mumbai. Account officers and accountants from these teams participated in the review meeting, where procedures for tracking election spending were discussed in detail. The focus was on monitoring expenses related to public meetings, rallies, advertisements, and other campaign activities. Officials were also briefed on methods to identify and prevent irregularities. The meeting reviewed the functioning of accounting teams, flying squads, expenditure observers, and video surveillance units deployed throughout the city.

Bellale instructed officials to carefully verify candidates’ expenditure statements and ensure that no one exceeds the prescribed spending cap. All monitoring activities must be documented using approved formats. Teams were also asked to stay alert to suspicious or illegal financial transactions linked to election campaigns and take immediate corrective action if violations are detected. Coordination among various departments was emphasised to maintain fairness and transparency throughout the election process and to prevent the misuse of money during the campaign period.

As per the State Election Commission’s order dated February 15, 2024, candidates contesting local body elections must submit detailed accounts of their election expenses. All transactions must be conducted through a separate bank account. Candidates are required to disclose sources of funds, including personal money, party support, donations, gifts, and loans in Form No. 1, while expenses must be detailed in Form No. 2. These forms, along with an affidavit in Form No. 3, must be submitted within 30 days of the election results.