BMC elections 2026: How polls are conducted, wards, seats, reservation explained

Established in 1873, the BMC is the country's largest and richest civic body, with a budget dwarfing that of several states. (File Photo)

BMC elections 2026: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 will be held on January 15, 2016. Established in 1873, India’s financial capital’s civic body is the country’s largest and richest, with a budget dwarfing that of several states.

The deadline for withdrawing nominations was on January 2, while the counting of votes for the BMC election is scheduled for January 16.

Mumbai is divided into 24 administrative wards. From sewerage operations to public health, the BMC handles local civic issues in these wards, named alphabetically from A to T.

Each administrative ward is further subdivided into smaller electoral wards for which corporators are elected. There are 227 of these electoral wards. Out of these, 113 fall under the General Category, while 114 are reserved for women, including women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and the Backwards Class of Citizens.

Polls for the BMC are held every five years to elect corporators. Once elected, the corporator represents the ward in the BMC house. The last civic polls were held in February 2017. The five-year term of the corporators ended on March 7, 2022. Since then, the BMC has been administered by a Maharashtra government-appointed administrator (the municipal commissioner is holding that post).

This year, a total of 1,700 candidates (879 women and 821 men) are contesting the election.

To form a majority and elect the Mayor of Mumbai, a party or alliance needs at least 114 seats.

Before elections, the boundaries of these wards are often redrawn based on population changes. In the latest delimitation exercise, the new delimitation list has seen changes in only six electoral wards.

1. Voter List: The State Election Commission updates the electoral rolls.

2. Nomination: Candidates file their nomination papers. They must be at least 21 years old and registered voters in Mumbai. Nominations for this election began on December 23 and ended on December 30. The last date for withdrawal of nominations was January 2.

3. Voting: Voting for the BMC election 2026 will be held on January 15 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm across all 227 wards of Mumbai, the State Election Commission announced.

4. Counting and Results: The counting of votes for the BMC election 2026 will take place on January 16 from 10 am.