BMC polls begin: Why Mumbai's civic body election carries high stakes

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which runs roads, water supply, healthcare and infrastructure, is India's richest civic body and a major political power centre

Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), along with 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra, went to the polls on Thursday. Voting began at 7.30 am, while counting of votes is scheduled for January 16, and results are expected to be declared by the end of the same day.

 

The BMC, which is responsible for key city services such as roads, water supply, sanitation, healthcare, education and public infrastructure, is the richest municipal corporation in India.

 

In Mumbai alone, nearly 1,700 candidates are contesting across 227 wards. A party or alliance will need 114 seats to secure a simple majority and form the civic body.

 

 

According to news agency PTI, around 10.3 million voters are eligible to vote in the BMC elections. Here's a breakdown of why the BMC election is considered important. 

VIDEO | Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray arrives at Mahatma Gandhi Vidyamandir to cast his vote in BMC polls.#MumbaiElections #BMC2026  (Full VIDEO available on https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/Q0dCxqRFFU

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 15, 2026

Why BMC elections matter

Although the polls are local, BMC elections carry significant political weight at the state and national levels. Control of the civic body is seen as a major measure of political strength and influence, prompting all major parties to invest heavily in the contest.

 

The latest election assumes significance as it comes after a long delay. The BMC’s last elected term ended in 2022, and since then, the city has been governed by administrators instead of elected representatives. The long gap has made the 2026 election important for restoring an elected civic leadership.

What is the BMC budget?

One of the main reasons for the BMC’s influence is its massive budget. According to Mint, the civic body’s budget for the 2025–26 financial year is over ₹74,000 crore, making it larger than the annual budgets of some Indian states.

 

Presented in February 2025, the BMC budget is among the largest municipal budgets in the country. It exceeds the budgets of states such as Goa, Sikkim and Tripura, and covers major spending on infrastructure, public services, healthcare and urban maintenance in a city with over one crore voters.

Who won the last BMC elections?

The last full BMC election was held in 2017, during which Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 84 seats, followed closely by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won 82 seats.

 

The Congress secured 31 seats, while other parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), also won representation. No party achieved a clear majority, though the Shiv Sena remained dominant in the civic body.

 

Subsequent elections were delayed due to disputes and legal challenges, leaving the BMC without elected members until the 2026 polls. In March 2024, IAS officer Bhushan Gagrani was appointed as the municipal commissioner by the state government.

Major issues in the 2026 BMC polls

According to media reports, voters are largely focused on basic civic issues, including the condition of roads, water supply, traffic congestion, sewage, waste management and rising pollution levels.

 

The issue of Marathi Asmita (Marathi identity) continues to feature in political campaigns, particularly among older voters. However, reports suggest that younger voters are less influenced by identity-based appeals and are more concerned about day-to-day civic services.