In view of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Elections scheduled on 15 January 2026, Mumbai’s Aqualine Metro services will operate with extended timings to facilitate the movement of polling
personnel and essential staff, ensuring smooth and convenient travel throughout the polling day.
Additional train services will be operated on election day to facilitate polling staff and other essential services. According to an official statement, trains will operate from 5:00 AM to 12:00 midnight from both Aarey JVLR and Cuffe Parade Terminals.
In addition, the last train will depart at 12:00 midnight from both Aarey JVLR and Cuffe Parade terminals.
Mumbai gears up for BMC elections 2026
Mumbai is set to hold the BMC elections 2026, with polling scheduled for January 15 across 227 wards. The counting of votes is slated to be held on January 16.
Meanwhile, a public holiday has been announced in municipal areas to encourage voter turnout. About 1,700 candidates are in the fray for the 2026 BMC elections. The contesting candidates include both men and women running in the race for 227 seats that make up the country’s richest civic body.
Who’s at stake?
For the Thackeray brothers – Uddhav and Raj – the battle is to rediscover their lost ground and ignite Maratha votes. At their joint rallies, they have raised concerns over the Adani Group’s growing influence, alleging a Gujarati takeover of Mumbai. They have also raised their voices against the alleged attempts to impose Hindi in Maharashtra, renewing slogans such as “uthao lungi, bajao pungi”.
For the BJP – which marked a landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls – the challenge is to win the BMC polls, which could further shape the political narrative in Maharashtra.
