Why Mumbai’s BMC Elections were held after a long gap; Key reasons explained
Counting of votes for the long-delayed BMC elections continues today, January 16, after voting was held in 227 wards of Mumbai on January 14. More than 1.03 crore voters participated in the municipal elections, which were postponed for years due to Covid-19, legal hurdles and ward delimitation.
The long-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Mumbai have finally reached a critical stage and counting of votes is taking place today, January 16. Voting in the city’s municipal neighborhoods was held on January 14, as the first municipal election in nearly eight years.
Voting took place under tight security measures in 227 wards between 7.30 in the morning and 17.30 in the evening. More than 1.03 crore voters were eligible to vote, including over 55 lakh men, 48 lakh women and over 1,000 voters from other categories. In the election where approximately 1,700 candidates competed in total, more than half of the candidates were women.
Civil Body Under Administrator Since 2022
The previous BMC elections were held in 2017 and the term of office of the corporations ended in March 2022. However, since the elections were not held on time, the civil structure was run by a manager for about three years, which was the target of criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups.
Why Was BMC Survey Postponed Many Times?
Many factors contributed to the prolonged delay in holding local body elections in Mumbai. The elections, originally planned for 2020, were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequent delays followed legal challenges over reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections.
In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that OBC reservations can be implemented only after a detailed empirical study. Although the court later allowed the OBC to grant up to 27% reservation, it further delayed the election process by ordering maintenance of status quo in many civic bodies, including the BMC.
Ward Limitation Added to Uncertainty
Another important obstacle was the redrawing of ward boundaries. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government had increased the number of BMC seats, leading to new restrictions. This decision was later reversed by the subsequent government following political changes in the state. Legal challenges over the restriction continued until the Bombay High Court upheld the rollback order, increasing uncertainty over the election timeline.
In August 2025, the Supreme Court finally directed the State Election Commission to hold local body elections in Maharashtra by January 2026, prompting the officials to withdraw due to prolonged delays.
High Stakes After the 2017 Contest
The 2017 BMC elections witnessed a close contest in which the Shiv Sena narrowly edged out the BJP. The political equations in Maharashtra have changed significantly since then and this election is crucial for control of India’s richest municipal body.
As the results are announced today, all eyes are on whether Mumbai will experience a major political change in its civilian power structure after years of administrative control.
