BMC Elections 2026: Mumbai Records 6.98% Voter Turnout By 9.30 Am As Suburbs Lead Early Polling
Mumbai: Mumbai registered a steady start to polling on Thursday as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 commenced, with voter turnout reaching 6.98 per cent by 9.30 am, according to data released by the civic body.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that 7,36,996 voters cast their ballots within the first two hours. Mumbai has an electorate of around 1.03 crore.
SUBURBS LEAD OVER ISLAND CITY IN MORNING TURNOUT
Suburban regions recorded a notably higher early turnout compared to the island city areas stretching from Colaba to Dadar and Matunga–Wadala. Borivali and Kandivali witnessed strong voter participation during the initial hours of polling.
BORIVALI EAST WARD REGISTERS HIGHEST EARLY VOTING
Electoral ward number 18 in Borivali East, part of the R/Central ward, logged the highest turnout at 11.57 per cent, with 5,316 voters casting their ballots by 9.30 am. This was followed by ward 114 at 11 per cent, ward 109 with 10.88 per cent, ward 29 at 10.63 per cent, ward 9 at 10.5 per cent, and ward 11 at 10.14 per cent — all located in the western suburbs.
KURLA REGION AMONG LOWEST TURNOUT ZONES
In contrast, the L ward covering the Kurla region recorded some of the lowest polling figures. Electoral wards 159 to 164, which include Kurla and Chandivali, reported voter turnout of under 3 per cent.
MALAD AND MADH ALSO SEE WEAK PARTICIPATION
Parts of Malad and Madh showed similarly low engagement. Ward 50 registered just 1.75 per cent turnout, followed by ward 56 at 2.68 per cent and ward 52 at 3.05 per cent.
COLABA RECORDS LOW TURNOUT IN SOUTH MUMBAI
In South Mumbai, the Colaba area — corresponding to ward 227 — remained among the lowest-performing wards, with turnout at 2.20 per cent, representing 1,011 votes cast by 9.30 am.
SENIOR CITIZENS, FIRST-TIME VOTERS DRIVE MORNING POLLING
Polling began at 7.30 am across the city, with voters arriving gradually at booths. Senior citizens, morning walkers, and first-time voters formed a significant portion of the early turnout, especially in residential pockets.
MAHARASHTRA CIVIC POLLS BEGIN WITH SPOTLIGHT ON MUMBAI
Voting for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra began on Thursday morning, with Mumbai at the centre of political attention as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance faces the reunited Thackeray cousins in a high-stakes contest for control of India’s largest and wealthiest civic body.
POLLING ACROSS STATE CORPORATIONS
Polling for 2,869 seats across 893 wards began under tight security at 7.30 am and will conclude at 5.30 pm. A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates.
HIGH-STAKES BMC ELECTION AFTER NINE YEARS
In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which has an annual budget exceeding ₹74,400 crore 1,700 candidates are contesting 227 seats in elections being conducted after a nine-year gap following a four-year delay. Over 25,000 police personnel have been deployed across Mumbai for poll duty.
VOTE COUNTING ON JANUARY 16
Except for Mumbai, other municipal corporations have multi-member wards. Counting of votes will take place on January 16.
FIRST BMC ELECTION SINCE SHIV SENA SPLIT
This is the first BMC election since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, when Eknath Shinde, now Deputy Chief Minister, separated from the party with a majority of MLAs and partnered with the BJP to form the government. The unified Shiv Sena governed the civic body from 1997 to 2022.
THACKERAY COUSINS REUNITE AHEAD OF ELECTIONS
In a significant development ahead of the polls, estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray — leading Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS, respectively reunited last month after two decades in an effort to consolidate Marathi votes. Meanwhile, rival NCP factions entered a local alliance in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
CONGRESS ATTEMPTS COMEBACK IN MUMBAI
The Congress, formerly a dominant force in Maharashtra, is seeking to regain ground in Mumbai. The party has stepped out of the shadow of its Maha Vikas Aghadi partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) and joined hands with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh in the state capital.
CIVIC POLLS HELD AFTER LONG DELAY ACROSS MAHARASHTRA
Elections to the 29 municipal corporations are being held after prolonged delays, with the terms of most bodies ending between 2020 and 2023. Nine of these corporations fall within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the country’s most urbanised zone.