• Maharashtra has announced municipal corporation election dates, with voting set for January 15, 2026, and counting on January 16, 2026.
• The schedule includes the long-anticipated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election along with other civic body polls.
• Political parties are ramping up preparations and campaign activity ahead of the elections.
Maharashtra State Election Commission has officially announced the schedule for upcoming municipal corporation elections, setting the voting date for January 15, 2026, and counting of votes on January 16, 2026.
Political activity in Maharashtra has intensified following the announcement, with parties finalising candidates and intensifying campaigning. An expected campaign code of conduct and other preparatory measures are expected to come into force as the election nears, signalling a crucial period for civic politics in the state.
When Are BMC Elections?
The announcement covers the long-awaited Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election, which will see voters in the financial capital of India cast their ballots in mid-January.
Similar civic elections in other municipal corporations are also included in the timetable, marking a major phase in local governance contests ahead of the 2026 calendar year.
Maharashtra’s local-body elections across 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2, 2025, have been thrown off course after procedural errors and judicial intervention led to postponements and deferred results. The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) stopped polling in about 20 civic bodies — including the key constituency of Baramati — following the discovery that election symbols were assigned without completing necessary court reviews or providing the mandated withdrawal period for candidates. These affected areas will now go to the polls on December 20. The ruling NDA government and opposition heavliy criticised SEC for lapses in governance.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench ordered that counting and result announcements — earlier planned for December 3 — be deferred to December 21. The court observed that tallying votes from the first phase while other segments were yet to vote could skew the electoral atmosphere and therefore directed a single counting date for all regions.
