Voting underway for high-stakes civic polls in Maharashtra; all eyes on big battle for Mumbai
Voting commenced in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra on Thursday, January 15th, 2026, with a focus on Mumbai where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance faces off against the reunited Thackeray cousins. Over 3.48 crore voters will decide the fate of 15,931 candidates in these elections, which are being held after a four-year delay. The BMC, with its annual budget exceeding ₹74,400 crore, is seeing intense competition as Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena (UBT)) and Raj Thackeray (MNS) reunite to consolidate Marathi votes. The Congress has also re-emerged in Mumbai by joining forces with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh. The vote count will take place on January 16th.
17 JAN 2026
— The Hindu
Following the Congress's loss in the Mumbai civic elections, calls for the resignation of Varsha Gaikwad, the city unit president, have emerged.
— The Hindu
Following the Maharashtra municipal corporation election results, Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena (UBT) convened a meeting with elected corporators at a Mumbai hotel to finalize the mayoral candidate.
— The Hindu
The BJP secured the highest number of seats in Mumbai's local body elections, surpassing the Shiv Sena (UBT) and establishing a dominant political position.
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