Mumbai is set to vote on January 15 to elect a new BMC after nearly three years, with 227 seats and multiple political alliances battling for control of the city’s civic body
BMC Election 2026: Mumbai Set to Choose New Civic Body in High-Stakes Vote (Source: X)
After nearly three years without an elected body, Mumbai is finally set to choose its new civic administration. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are back, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The State Election Commission (SEC) has released the full schedule, including voting hours and counting dates, ahead of this high-stakes contest. With 227 seats up for grabs, political parties and independent candidates are preparing for a fierce battle to lead India’s richest municipal corporation.
The full form of BMC is The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. It is the civic body governing Mumbai, also known as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), which manages city infrastructure, services, and public health. It is India's richest civic body, responsible for water, roads, sewage, and other essential city functions.
The process began when the SEC issued its notification on December 15, 2025. Polling for all wards will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. To make it easier for residents to vote, January 15 has been declared a public holiday in all polling areas.
Vote counting will happen the following day, Friday, January 16, 2026, determining the winners in each ward and paving the way for the formation of Mumbai’s new civic administration.
All 227 seats in the BMC are being contested. Each ward will elect one corporator, and a party or alliance will need at least 114 seats to form a majority. Out of these, 92 wards are unreserved (General category), mainly in South Mumbai, the Western Suburbs, and parts of Central Mumbai. These wards are among the most competitive and politically significant, making them the key battlegrounds of the election.
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani revealed that nearly 1,700 candidates are contesting across the 227 wards. The administration is geared up to ensure smooth and fair elections.
Mumbai’s voter base is huge with around 1,03,44,315 eligible voters, including:
55,16,707 male voters
48,26,509 female voters
1,099 voters in the Other category
The BMC elections are just one part of a larger civic election across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, all taking place on the same day. This makes it one of the largest municipal polls in recent years. Among all these elections, Mumbai will attract the most attention due to the BMC’s massive budget, responsibility for key infrastructure, and its history as a major political battleground. The outcome will play a crucial role in shaping how the city handles long-standing and emerging urban challenges.
Mahayuti alliance: BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), NCP-Ajit Pawar faction
Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), NCP-Sharad Pawar faction, Congress
Other alliances:
Raj Thackeray-led MNS allied with Shiv Sena (UBT)
Congress allied with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA)
BJP & Shinde-led Shiv Sena:
BJP: 136 wards
Shinde faction: 89 wards
These elections carry special importance as Mumbai has been functioning without an elected civic body since the previous term ended.
