Maharashtra Civic Polls 2026: High-Stakes Battle Begins Thursday

The stage is now fully set for the Maharashtra civic body elections. Voters across the state will head to the polls on Thursday, January 15. Campaigning for these crucial local elections officially ended on Tuesday. This marks the first time in four years that Maharashtra is holding municipal corporation polls.

Key Details: Voting Schedule and Scale

Polling for all 29 municipal corporations will begin at 7:30 AM sharp. It will continue until 5:30 PM on January 15. A massive electorate of 34.8 million eligible voters will participate. They will decide the political fate of 15,931 candidates contesting across the state.

These elections cover a total of 2,869 seats. These seats are spread across 893 different wards within the corporations. The vote counting process is scheduled to take place on the very next day, January 16.

Mumbai's BMC: The Richest Prize

All eyes are firmly fixed on Mumbai. The city is electing a new Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC holds the title of India's richest municipal body. It operates with an enormous budget exceeding ₹74,000 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Mumbai is witnessing an intense three-cornered contest. The main alliances in the fray are the BJP-Shiv Sena, the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS, and the Congress-VBA combine. Control of the BMC has been a pivotal factor for the Thackeray family's political influence.

Political Realignments and Historic Context

The last BMC election was held back in 2017. At that time, the undivided Shiv Sena and the BJP were the primary contenders. The Shiv Sena had held a majority in the BMC for an unbroken 26-year period until then.

In a significant development, the two estranged Thackeray cousins have reunited. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are joining forces for the BMC polls after two full decades. In the 2017 elections, the BJP won 82 seats while the Shiv Sena secured 84.

Other major political realignments are shaping these civic polls. In western Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar has entered into an alliance. He is partnering with his uncle Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party for key corporations like Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Parbhani. These areas have traditionally been NCP strongholds.

Interestingly, the NCP has recently campaigned vigorously against the BJP. This is notable because the BJP is the NCP's partner in the ruling Mahayuti alliance at the state level.

Other Major Corporations in the Fray

Beyond Mumbai, several other important municipal corporations are also going to the polls. The list includes major urban centers across Maharashtra.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Navi Mumbai
Vasai-Virar
Kalyan-Dombivli
Kolhapur
Nagpur
Solapur
Amravati
Akola
Nashik

Additional corporations voting include Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Ulhasnagar, Thane, and Chandrapur. The list continues with Parbhani, Mira-Bhayandar, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, and Bhiwandi-Nizampur. Voters in Latur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalna, and Ichalkaranji will also cast their ballots.

These elections represent a critical test for political parties at the grassroots level. The results will shape local governance and have significant implications for state politics.