Mumbai: As the political temperature rises ahead of the much-anticipated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, slated likely to be held by January 2026, the spotlight is firmly fixed on the extraordinary delay since the last polls. Mumbai's last fully elected civic body took office following the elections held nearly nine years ago, on February 21, 2017.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, often dubbed the richest civic body in India, is currently governed by an appointed Administrator, an arrangement that has been in place since the five-year term of the previous corporators expired in March 2022. This extended administrative rule, necessitated by delays in delimitation, reservation processes and further legal hurdles, has stretched the mandated five-year electoral cycle.
The 2017 Mandate
The last time Mumbaikars exercised their franchise for the civic body was in 2017, which saw a hotly contested battle for the 227 seats. The election was marked by the highest turnout in decades, 55.53 per cent.
The results saw the then-undivided Shiv Sena emerge as the largest party, winning 84 seats. However, their long-time ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made major gains, surging from 31 to 82 seats. This resulted in a hung corporation, as neither party secured the 114 seats required for an absolute majority. Eventually, the BJP supported the Shiv Sena to install their candidate as Mayor.
Other parties also saw fluctuating fortunes: the Indian National Congress secured 31 seats, the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won 9 and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) saw its tally drop to 7 seats.
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Preparing For The Next Battle
With the next civic polls now likely in the next couple of months, political parties are gearing up for what is expected to be a highly charged election, especially given the state's changed political landscape. The 2017 results serve as a crucial benchmark, highlighting the neck-and-neck fight between the two major forces, now split and allied in different formations.
The nearly decade-long gap since the last electoral mandate adds immense weight to the upcoming election, which will determine the municipal governance and development agenda for India's financial capital for the next five years.
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