BMC Elections 2026 Date Announced: Voting Will Be Held On January 15, Vote Counting To Be Held On January 16

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections will be conducted on January 15, while the counting of votes is scheduled for January 16. The State Election Commission confirmed that voting will take place across 10,111 polling stations in Mumbai to accommodate the large electorate. The electoral roll revised as of July 1, 2025, will be used for this civic poll. Officials expect active participation from voters as preparations gain momentum. The announcement formally sets the election process in motion, marking a significant step toward restoring elected local governance in India’s financial capital after a prolonged delay.

According to the declared programme, the nomination process for candidates will begin on December 23 and continue until December 30. Candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations up to January 2, 2026. The allotment of election symbols is scheduled to be completed by January 3, 2026. Election authorities stated that all procedures, including nominations, scrutiny, and campaigning, will be conducted strictly as per the guidelines laid down by the State Election Commission to ensure a transparent, orderly, and fair electoral process throughout the civic polls.

State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, along with Secretary Suresh Kakani, briefed the media at a press conference held at Sahyadari Guest House in Malabar Hill on Monday at 4 pm. Of the 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, 28 will follow a multi-member ward structure. Voter participation is expected to rise substantially, with an increase of about 3 crore 48 lakh voters. In Mumbai, arrangements have been made for voting at 10,111 polling centres.

As per the latest guidelines issued by the State Election Commission, nomination papers for the civic elections must be submitted in offline mode only. In the previous BMC elections held in 2017, the undivided Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party, securing 84 seats, while the BJP won 82 seats and the Congress managed 31. Later, six of the seven Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporators joined the Shiv Sena. Following the Shiv Sena split in 2022, nearly 26 former corporators elected in 2017 aligned with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction.

The tenure of elected BMC corporators formally ended in March 2022, after which the Municipal Commissioner was appointed as the administrator to oversee the functioning of the civic body until fresh elections are conducted. The Supreme Court has directed the State Election Commission to complete all pending local body elections by January 31, 2026, as these polls have been overdue since 2022.

For the financial year 2025–26, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has an estimated budget of Rs 74,427 crore. Of this, Rs 43,162 crore—around 58 per cent of the total allocation—has been earmarked for expenditure on development-related works and projects across the city.