BMC Election Voting Begins: India's Richest Civic Body Goes to Polls for 227 Wards

• Voting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 commenced on Thursday, January 15, across all 227 wards of Mumbai.
• The BMC, with a budget of ₹74,427 crore, is India's wealthiest municipal body, crucial for Mumbai's infrastructure, health, education, and urban administration.
• Over 1700 candidates are contesting for 227 wards, with voters in Mumbai's 24 administrative wards electing their corporators.
• Security has been heightened, and arrangements made at polling stations for peaceful conduct; vote counting is scheduled for Friday, January 16, at 23 centers.
• The elections feature a complex political contest: BJP-Shiv Sena (Mahayuti) vs. Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance, and the Congress-led alliance.

Why It Matters: Voting has started for Mumbai's BMC elections, a critical contest for India's richest civic body.