From 2017 to 2026: Why Mumbai’s BMC Elections were held after a long gap; Key reasons explained

Mumbai’s long-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections have finally reached a crucial stage, with vote counting underway today, January 16. Polling across the city’s civic wards was conducted on January 14, marking the first municipal election in nearly eight years.

Voting took place across 227 wards between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm amid tight security arrangements. Over 1.03 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots, including more than 55 lakh men, 48 lakh women, and over 1,000 voters from other categories. A total of around 1,700 candidates contested the election, with women accounting for more than half of the contenders.

Civic Body Under Administrator Since 2022

The previous BMC elections were held in 2017, after which the term of corporators ended in March 2022. However, the failure to conduct elections on time resulted in the civic body being run by an administrator for nearly three years, a situation that drew criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups.

Why the BMC Poll Was Repeatedly Delayed

Multiple factors contributed to the prolonged delay in conducting Mumbai’s civic elections. Initially scheduled for 2020, the polls were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent delays followed legal challenges related to reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections.

In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that OBC reservations could only be implemented after a detailed empirical study. While the court later allowed up to 27% OBC reservation, it ordered a status quo in several civic bodies, including the BMC, further stalling the election process.

Ward Delimitation Added to Uncertainty

Another major hurdle was the redrawing of ward boundaries. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government had increased the number of BMC seats, leading to fresh delimitation. This decision was later reversed by the succeeding government following political changes in the state. Legal challenges over delimitation continued until the Bombay High Court upheld the rollback, adding to uncertainty over the election timeline.

In August 2025, the Supreme Court finally directed the State Election Commission to conduct local body elections across Maharashtra by January 2026, pulling up authorities for prolonged delays.

High Stakes After the 2017 Contest

The 2017 BMC election had witnessed a close contest, with the Shiv Sena narrowly edging out the BJP. Since then, political equations in Maharashtra have changed significantly, making this election crucial for control over India’s richest municipal body.

As results are declared today, all eyes remain on whether Mumbai’s civic power structure will see a major political shift after years of administrative control.