Mumbai: Mumbai is set to witness a major political event tomorrow, January 15, as voters are set to vote for the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026. The polls will be Shiv Sena's first BMC election since the 2022 split, when Eknath Shinde broke away with a majority of the party's legislators, along with its name and symbol.
How many seats are political parties conducting?
In Mumbai, the BJP is contesting 137 seats, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 90, while the NCP is fighting separately on 94 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded 163 candidates, the MNS 52, the Congress 143 and the VBA 46 in the city.
Voting Day & Time
The voting will be held on January 15 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm. The counting of votes will be done on January 16.
Key Wards To Watch Out For
Ward 199 (Arthur Road, Lower Parel, Kalachowki)
Kishori Pednekar (Shiv Sena – UBT)
Sashi kala Jaiswar (BSP)
Nandini Jadhav (VBA)
Kusale Rajesh (Shinde Sena)
Independent Candidates: Neelam Chiplunkar, Avanti Talekar, Sakshi Patole, Pooja Pandey, Sheela Shinde, Sangeeta Shetode, Anjali Sakhare
Ward 2 (Dahisar, Borivali)
Tejasvee Ghosalkar (BJP)
Dhanashree Kolage (Sena UBT)
Shingh Meneka Girish (Congress)
Sunita Bhatia (Independent)
Ward 185 (Sion West, East, Matunga, Dharavi)
Ravi Raja (BJP)
Kamlesh Lalaji Chiroda (Congress)
T. M. Jagdish (Sena UBT)
Paul Rafael (AAP)
Imran Mohammed Sheikh (BSP)
Nadar Michael Selvan (CPI-M)
Swati Yellappa Kunchikorve (CPI)
Nirmal Ramdulare Mewalal (SP)
Jyoti Trigriya (RPI)
Parthiyaraj Anbalagan (Independent)
Mohammed Irfan Ishtiyaq Khan (Independent)
Kamlesh Murji Nadiyapara (Independent)
Ponnarasi Shekhar Nadar (Independent)
Subhash Parvati Krishna Pandhare (Independent)
Vikas Maruti Rokade (Independent)
Ward 194 (Prabhadevi, Lower Parel )
Pawar Pooja Vijay (Congress)
Nishikant Govind Shinde (Sena UBT)
Samadhan Sada Sarvankar (Shiv Sena)
Shankar alias Ashok Gujarati (Swami) (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi)
Ward 207 (Byculla East, West, Chichpokli)
Yogita Arun Gawli (Akhil Bharatiya Sena)
Lokhande Rohidas Madhukar (BJP)
Pednekar Surekha Charudatt (Congress)
Shalaka Dilip Harayan (MNS)
Mohammad Shakil Qureshi (Samajwadi Party)
Chandrashekhar Ashok Kande (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi)
Murlidhar Shankar Mandavkar (Bharatiya Manavtavadi Party)
Wa-Hadi Girish Dilip (Sanay Chhatrapati Shasan)
Amit Shamrao Kumbhirkar (Independent)
Deshmukh Rohit Sarjerao (Independent)
Nitin Govind Vyas (Independent)
Dr. Mayuri Santosh Shinde (Independent)
Ward 212 (Byculla, Mumbai Central, Saatrasta, Agripada)
Geeta Gawli (Akhil Bharatiya Sena)
Naziya Siddique (Congress)
Haldankar Sravani Vinay (MNS)
Abrahani Amrin Shehzad (SP)
Salvi Amita Santosh (Sambhaji Brigade Party)
Muskan Meraj Sheikh (Independent)
Ward 226 (Colaba, Cuffe Parade)
Makarand Narwekar (BJP)
Tejal Pawar (Independent)
Ward 227 (Cuffe Parade, Colaba)
Gauri Narwekar (BJP)
Rehana Sheikh (Sena UBT)
Sushma Savli (Janata Dal Secular)
Dr Laura D'souza (Independent)
Check your name on the electoral roll here (https://www.mcgm.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/documents/MCGM%20Department%20List/Assessment%20And%20Collection%20(Election)/Docs/Election%20Department/BMC%20General%20Election%202025/List%20of%20Contesting%20Candidates%20%3a%20BMC%20Election/LIST%20OF%20CONSTESTING%20CANDIDATE%202026.pdf)
Number of Candidates and Voters in Mumbai
The polls are set to be held across 227 civic wards, with 1,700 candidates in the fray, including 878 females and 822 males. As many as 1,03,44,315 eligible voters, comprising 55,15,707 males, 48,26,509 females and 1,099 others, can exercise their right to vote.
Security On Polling Day
On polling day, the Mumbai Police will deploy over 3,000 police officers including 10 Additional Commissioners of Police, 33 Deputy Commissioners of Police, and 84 Assistant Commissioners of Police, along with more than 25,000 police personnel across the city.
In addition to local police, specialised units such as SRPF platoons, Quick Response Teams (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Riot Control Police (RCP) platoons, and Home Guards will also be stationed at sensitive and high-risk locations to maintain strict vigilance. The police have appealed to citizens to immediately contact the helpline numbers 100 or 112 for emergency assistance or to report any suspicious activity.
Key Promises by Political Parties
The Mahayuti has promised a 50 per cent concession for women in BEST bus travel, while the Thackeray cousins have assured a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for women domestic helps and a property tax waiver on houses up to 700 sq ft.
The UBT-MNS in its manifesto promised affordable housing, infrastructure upgrades, Rs 1,500 monthly aid for domestic and Koli women, scrapping property tax on homes up to 700 sq ft, reduce bus ticket prices and restarting old bus routes among others.
The Congress manifesto, by contrast, prioritises combating Mumbai's pollution, upgrading the BEST fleet, and strengthening the city's financial health.
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