Mumbai's BMC Polls Set: Why 29-City Vote Amid 'Vote Theft' Claims Matters

Addressing a press conference, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, accompanied by SEC Secretary Suresh Kakani, said the poll programme has been finalised to ensure adherence to constitutional timelines.

The elections are expected to be keenly contested, particularly in Mumbai, where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will face a challenge from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

As per the schedule, nomination papers will be filed between December 23 and December 30, 2025. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on December 31, while candidates may withdraw their nominations on January 2, 2026. Poll symbols will be allotted and the final voters’ list published on January 3. Voting will be held on January 15, followed by counting on January 16.

A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to participate in the elections, including 1.91 crore men, 1.66 crore women and 4,590 voters in the ‘others’ category. Polling will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) across 39,147 polling stations, of which 10,111 are located in the BMC area. The voters’ list as on July 1 has been adopted for these elections on a ward-wise basis from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The SEC clarified that it does not have the authority to add or delete names from the electoral rolls.

Of the total seats across the 29 municipal corporations, 1,442 are reserved for women, 341 for Scheduled Castes, 77 for Scheduled Tribes, and 769 for Other Backward Classes. Nomination papers will be accepted offline.

Two of the 29 municipal corporations -- Jalna and Ichalkaranji -- are newly constituted civic bodies. The terms of five municipal corporations expired in 2020, while the terms of the largest group -- 18 corporations -- ended in 2022. Four more completed their terms in 2023. Notably, the BMC's term expired on March 7, 2022, and it has since been administered by appointed officials.

Addressing concerns over duplicate voters, Waghmare said such names have been identified and marked with double stars in the voters’ list. Municipal corporations conducted field surveys asking duplicate voters to indicate their preferred polling station to prevent multiple voting. In the BMC alone, around 11 lakh duplicate entries were initially detected through software tools, but subsequent field verification revealed that only about 7 per cent were actual duplicate voters. Similar patterns were observed in other civic bodies, he said.

With the announcement of the election programme, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force with immediate effect in the areas covered by the municipal corporations. While the MCC applies strictly within the operational limits of the civic bodies, any decision or announcement outside these areas that could influence voters will also be prohibited.

As a result, the state government will be barred from taking policy decisions related to municipal corporation areas during this period, though relief and assistance measures in the event of natural disasters will not be affected. Restrictions on carrying arms and weapons will also remain in force, in line with orders issued by the SEC on November 4.

Electoral systems will differ across civic bodies. Elections in 28 municipal corporations will be held under a multi-member ward system, where each ward generally elects four councillors, with some wards having three or five seats. Accordingly, voters in these corporations will cast between three and five votes. In contrast, the BMC follows a single-member ward system, with each voter casting only one vote.

The SEC also reiterated norms for candidates contesting from reserved seats. Such candidates must submit both caste certificates and caste validity certificates with their nomination papers. If the validity certificate is pending, proof of application to the Caste Scrutiny Committee along with an undertaking to submit the certificate within six months of the results will be mandatory. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the election retrospectively.

The announcement comes amid heightened political tension, with opposition parties alleging large-scale voter duplication and “vote theft.” The ruling Mahayuti alliance has dismissed these claims, accusing the opposition of raising excuses after electoral setbacks. Fresh from its strong performance in the recent Assembly elections, the BJP-led alliance is aiming to extend its momentum in the ongoing and upcoming local body polls across the state.

- IANS