What is the story about?
After nearly three years of delay, elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take place on Thursday.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has confirmed that polling for 29
municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai’s civic body, will take place in a single phase on January 15, 2026. Voting will be held across all 227 wards in Greater Mumbai.
Counting is scheduled for the following day.
The announcement comes after repeated court directions to complete long-pending local body elections in the state.
2026 BMC election schedule and key dates
The formal election process began in December.
The SEC issued the notification on December 15, 2025, setting out the timeline for nominations, withdrawals, polling and counting.
Key dates are as follows:
January 15, 2026: Polling day.
January 16, 2026: Counting and results.
All voting will take place on January 15 between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm at designated polling stations across Mumbai.
The SEC has declared the day a public holiday in municipal corporation areas to allow voters to participate.
According to figures cited by PTI, more than 1.03 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the BMC election.
Officials have said standard voter identification rules will apply, and polling will be conducted under the Model Code of Conduct, which remains in force until results are declared.
Security arrangements and staffing are being coordinated by the Mumbai civic administration in consultation with the state election machinery.
Why the 2026 Mumbai Civic Election matters
The BMC is India’s richest municipal body and controls civic services for a population of more than 12 million people. The last full-term BMC election was held in 2017. Since then, the corporation has been run by administrators after the elected body’s term expired.
Legal challenges, ward delimitation, and reservation changes contributed to the delay.
Ballot boxes and electronic records will be moved to counting centres overnight.
Results are expected on January 16, subject to completion of counting and verification.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has confirmed that polling for 29
Counting is scheduled for the following day.
The announcement comes after repeated court directions to complete long-pending local body elections in the state.
2026 BMC election schedule and key dates
The formal election process began in December.
The SEC issued the notification on December 15, 2025, setting out the timeline for nominations, withdrawals, polling and counting.
Key dates are as follows:
January 15, 2026: Polling day.
January 16, 2026: Counting and results.
All voting will take place on January 15 between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm at designated polling stations across Mumbai.
The SEC has declared the day a public holiday in municipal corporation areas to allow voters to participate.
According to figures cited by PTI, more than 1.03 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the BMC election.
Officials have said standard voter identification rules will apply, and polling will be conducted under the Model Code of Conduct, which remains in force until results are declared.
Security arrangements and staffing are being coordinated by the Mumbai civic administration in consultation with the state election machinery.
Why the 2026 Mumbai Civic Election matters
The BMC is India’s richest municipal body and controls civic services for a population of more than 12 million people. The last full-term BMC election was held in 2017. Since then, the corporation has been run by administrators after the elected body’s term expired.
Legal challenges, ward delimitation, and reservation changes contributed to the delay.
Ballot boxes and electronic records will be moved to counting centres overnight.
Results are expected on January 16, subject to completion of counting and verification.
