Maharashtra civic polls LIVE: Voting begins for Mumbai BMC and 28 other municipal corporations

What happened: Voting started across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the high-stakes Mumbai BMC elections.

Why it matters now: The polls will decide control of India’s richest civic body after a nine-year gap and post major political realignments.

What changes for people: Results will shape urban governance, infrastructure spending and civic services for millions.

Who is affected: 3.48 crore voters across Mumbai and 28 other cities, along with state-level political alliances.

Polling began at 7.30 am on Thursday, January 15, 2026, across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, with all eyes on Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The contest is being closely watched as a political test between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the reunited Thackeray cousins, marking a defining moment in the state’s urban politics.

Voting will continue until 5.30 pm, with counting scheduled for January 16.

Scale of voting across Maharashtra

According to election officials, voting is underway for 2,869 seats across 893 wards, with 15,931 candidates in the fray.

A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including 1.81 crore men, 1.66 crore women and 4,596 other voters.

Except for Mumbai, all other municipal corporations are voting in multi-member wards, adding layers of complexity to the outcome.

Mumbai BMC: The main battleground

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, with an annual budget of ₹74,400 crore, is India’s largest and wealthiest civic body. Elections are being held after a four-year delay, making this the first BMC poll in nine years.

In Mumbai alone, 1,700 candidates are contesting for 227 seats, underscoring the intensity of the race and the fragmented political landscape.

Political backdrop and stakes

These elections are the first BMC polls since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, when Eknath Shinde, now Deputy Chief Minister, broke away with a majority of MLAs and aligned with the BJP.

The outcome is widely seen as a verdict on post-split political loyalties and the strength of newly formed alliances ahead of future state and national contests.

Security and polling arrangements

Authorities have deployed over 25,000 police personnel across Mumbai to ensure smooth polling. Out of 39,092 polling stations statewide, 3,196 have been declared sensitive.

Voting is being conducted on electronic voting machines, with 43,958 control units and 87,916 ballot units allocated statewide. For Mumbai alone, 11,349 control units and 22,698 ballot units have been deployed.

Officials confirmed that tight security measures are in place and voting has remained largely peaceful so far.

Why urban voters are watching closely

Control of municipal corporations directly impacts local infrastructure projects, water supply, waste management, roads and public health services. In Mumbai, decisions taken by the BMC influence India’s financial capital and affect millions of daily commuters and residents.