BMC Elections 2026: Why Asia's Richest Civic Body Polls Were Delayed Since 2022

• Maharashtra has initiated the high-stakes battle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 other civic bodies, with BMC polls pending since 2017.
• The BMC elections, originally set for 2022, were delayed due to legal, political, and administrative issues, including a legal battle over OBC reservations.
• The Supreme Court mandated a "rigorous empirical inquiry" for OBC reservations, which wasn't ready, leading to courts warning against holding elections.
• Disagreements over the number and boundaries of wards in Mumbai, with changes and reversals by different governments, caused further delays and legal challenges.
• The 2022 split in Shiv Sena and subsequent political realignments also contributed to administrative inertia, prolonging the election process.

Why It Matters: BMC elections, delayed since 2022 due to legal, political, and administrative hurdles, are now set for January 2026.