Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will conduct its general body elections on January 15, 2026, under a panel or multi-member system for the first time, marking a major shift in the city’s local electoral process. With voters set to use the new method for the first time, the civic body has intensified awareness campaigns to ensure smooth and error-free polling.
Under the panel system, each ward will elect more than one corporator. Of the 28 wards in Navi Mumbai, wards 1 to 27 will elect four corporators each—designated as seats ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’—while ward number 28 will elect three corporators for seats ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Accordingly, voters will be required to cast one vote for each seat in their ward.
Election officials said voters in wards 1 to 27 must cast four separate votes, one each for the ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ seats, while voters in ward 28 must cast three votes. To make the process simple and avoid confusion, electronic voting machines will have separate, colour-coded ballot units for each seat. The ‘A’ seat will be marked in white, ‘B’ in light pink, ‘C’ in light yellow and ‘D’ in light blue.
Voters must press the button for one candidate in each category. After voting for all seats, a beep sound will indicate that the voting process has been successfully completed. Officials clarified that multiple votes cannot be cast for a single seat, as the rule of 'one seat, one vote' will strictly apply. A separate NOTA (None of the Above) option will be available for each seat.
Given the novelty of the panel system, the NMMC has rolled out an extensive voter education programme under the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) initiative. Awareness is being spread through banners, street plays, short films, social media content and other outreach activities across the city.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde said the focus is on ensuring that every voter understands the new system before polling day. “This is the first time Navi Mumbai will vote under a panel system. Our priority is to clearly explain how voting has to be done for each seat so that no vote is wasted and citizens can exercise their democratic right with confidence,” he said.
The civic body has appealed to all eligible voters to participate actively in the January 15 elections, stating that continued awareness efforts will be carried out until polling day to maximise turnout and ensure a smooth electoral process.
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