Maharashtra State EC Announces Poll Schedule For 29 Municipal Corporations Including BMC, Voting On January 15, 2026

Mumbai: The State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra on Monday announced the long-awaited election schedule for 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the high-profile Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well as Thane and Navi Mumbai. Polling for all 29 civic bodies will be held on January 15, 2026, followed by the counting of votes on January 16, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai. With the announcement of the programme, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all the concerned municipal areas.

Over 3.48 Crore Voters, 2,869 Seats at Stake

Addressing the media at the Sahyadri Guest House, Waghmare said that around 3.48 crore voters will exercise their franchise in these elections, which together cover most major urban centres of Maharashtra. A total of 2,869 seats are at stake, including 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation alone. The elections assume significance as several of these civic bodies have been under administrative rule for prolonged periods ranging from five to over seven years due to delays caused primarily by the OBC reservation issue.

The election process has been initiated following directions from the Supreme Court, which last month permitted the State Election Commission to conduct municipal corporation elections, including in two corporations where reservations have crossed the 50 per cent ceiling. Chandrapur and Nagpur municipal corporations fall under this category, and the results in these two cases will remain subject to the final outcome of petitions pending before the apex court. The clearance from the Supreme Court paved the way for resumption of local body elections in the state, beginning with municipal councils and nagar panchayats on December 2, followed now by the announcement of the municipal corporation polls.

According to the schedule, the election notification for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be issued on December 16, 2025, while notifications for the remaining 28 municipal corporations will be published on December 18. The respective municipal commissioners will issue the notifications at their levels. Voting will take place on January 15 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm across all municipal areas.

Model Code of Conduct Comes Into Force

Waghmare clarified that the entire election process is being conducted subject to the final verdict of the Supreme Court. He also announced that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in all municipal corporation areas with the declaration of the election programme. While the code applies specifically within municipal limits, any announcements or actions elsewhere that could influence municipal voters are also prohibited. During this period, the government will not be able to take policy decisions related to municipal corporation jurisdictions, though relief and emergency measures in the event of natural disasters will not be restricted. The code will be implemented as per the State Election Commission’s orders issued on November 4, 2025, including directives related to law and order.

The commissioner Waghmare further stated that once the official campaign period ends, publication or broadcast of election-related advertisements in print, electronic or social media will be prohibited. As per provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, and the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, restrictions on campaigning come into force 48 hours before the close of polling. Since voting ends at 5.30 pm on January 15, all public campaigning will conclude at 5.30 pm on January 13, after which no political advertisements will be permitted.

Among the 29 municipal corporations going to polls, Jalna and Ichalkaranji are newly constituted civic bodies. The term of five municipal corporations ended in 2020, while the tenure of 18 corporations expired in 2022 and that of four corporations concluded in 2023. Except for the BMC, elections in the remaining 28 municipal corporations will be held under the multi-member ward system. In Mumbai, each ward elects a single councillor, allowing each voter to cast only one vote. In contrast, voters in other municipal corporations will be required to cast between three and five votes depending on the number of seats allocated to their respective wards.

Nomination Process and Voting Infrastructure

While the State Election Commission has enabled an online system for filing nomination papers and affidavits, nominations for municipal corporation elections will be accepted through the traditional offline method in view of demands raised by political parties and candidates during earlier local body polls. The commission has also made extensive arrangements for polling infrastructure. A total of 39,147 polling stations will be set up for nearly 3.49 crore voters across the state. Adequate electronic voting machines have been arranged, including 43,958 control units and 87,916 ballot units. For Mumbai alone, over 10,111 polling stations will be equipped with more than 11,000 control units and nearly 23,000 ballot units.

Substantial manpower has also been deployed for the smooth conduct of elections. Around 290 election officers and 870 assistant election officers have been appointed, while nearly 1.96 lakh polling personnel will be engaged in election duties. Instructions have been issued to divisional revenue commissioners and municipal commissioners to ensure timely availability of required staff, and review meetings have been held periodically to monitor preparedness.

Elaborating on eligibility requirements, Waghmare said candidates contesting from reserved seats must submit caste certificates and caste validity certificates along with their nomination papers. In cases where caste validity certificates are pending, candidates will have to submit proof of application to the scrutiny committee along with an undertaking to produce the validity certificate within six months of the declaration of results. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the election with retrospective effect.

Special Facilities for Voters and Pink Booths

Special arrangements will be made at polling stations to facilitate senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and women carrying infants. Temporary ramps, wheelchairs, drinking water, electricity, shade and toilet facilities will be ensured at polling centres. Efforts will also be made to establish model polling stations wherever possible. Polling stations staffed entirely by women personnel will be designated as ‘pink polling booths’ in areas with a high concentration of women voters. Mobile phones will not be allowed inside polling stations.

The commissioner also announced the formation of Media Certification and Monitoring Committees at the municipal and state levels in accordance with the commission’s order dated October 9, 2025. These committees will monitor media coverage, pre-certify political advertisements on electronic media and examine complaints related to paid news. At the municipal level, the municipal commissioner will head the committee, while a state-level committee will function under the chairmanship of the commission secretary.

Consultations with Political Parties Completed

Waghmare said the State Election Commission has maintained regular dialogue with recognised political parties in the run-up to the polls. Three meetings have been held so far on October 14, December 1 and December 12, 2025, during which issues related to election preparedness, multi-member wards, court orders, EVM arrangements and strong room security were discussed. Based on demands from political parties, the number of star campaigners has been increased from 20 to 40, and further clarifications have been provided regarding mandatory annexures to nomination papers.

With the announcement of the election schedule, Maharashtra’s urban political landscape is set for intense competition as parties gear up to regain control of key civic bodies ahead of future state and national elections.

Voters and Polling Stations in 29 Municipal Corporations

Total Voters--- 3,48,78,017

Male--- 1,81,93,666

Female--- 1,66,79,755

other --- 4596

Total booths--- 39,147

---

Seats and Reserved Seats

Number of Municipal Corporations: 29

Total seats: 673

General seats: 269

Seats reserved for women: 242

Seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC): 142

Seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST): 67

Seats reserved for Nomadic Tribes: 75

---

Candidate Expenditure Limit

Brihanmumbai and ‘A’ category Municipal Corporations (Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur): Rs 15,00,000

‘B’ category Municipal Corporations (Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik and Thane): Rs 13,00,000

‘C’ category Municipal Corporations (Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Vasai-Virar): Rs 11,00,000

‘D’ category Municipal Corporations (remaining 15): Rs 9,00,000

---

Important Dates

Filing of nomination papers: December 23, 2025 to December 30, 2025

Scrutiny of nominations: December 31, 2025

Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 2, 2026

Allotment of election symbols: January 3, 2026

Final list of candidates: January 3, 2026

Polling date: January 15, 2026

Counting of votes: January 16, 2026

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/