Voting across 29 municipal corporations seen as key political test ahead of bigger elections
January 15, 2026: Maharashtra is witnessing a major round of civic elections on Thursday, with polling underway for 29 municipal corporations across the state. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has emerged as the biggest battleground, drawing statewide attention due to its political and financial significance. Over 15,900 candidates are contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards, while counting of votes is scheduled for January 16. With 3.48 crore eligible voters, these polls are being seen as a crucial political rehearsal ahead of upcoming state and national elections.
Voting is taking place in major urban centres including Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane, Nagpur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar and several others. Mumbai alone has around 1,700 candidates in the fray, while Pune has over 1,100 contestants. The BMC, which controls a budget exceeding ₹40,000 crore, plays a vital role in shaping Mumbai’s infrastructure and civic services, making the outcome particularly significant for both governance and political equations in the state.
Several leaders and celebrities urged citizens to participate actively. Tata Group chairperson Natarajan Chandrasekaran, actor Akshay Kumar, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and former Union minister Prakash Javadekar were among those who cast their votes early, emphasising the importance of civic responsibility. While enthusiasm was visible among first-time voters and senior citizens, some polling booths reported minor glitches related to voter lists. Despite this, turnout and political messaging are expected to intensify as the day progresses, with results set to influence Maharashtra’s urban political landscape.