Mumbai, January 15, 2026 – Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was among the first celebrities to cast his vote in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections today, urging all Mumbaikars to exercise their democratic right. Voting for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra is underway today, January 15, 2026.
Kumar arrived early in the morning at the Gandhi Shikshan Bhavan polling station in Juhu to cast his vote. Speaking to reporters after voting, he emphasized the importance of voting and encouraged citizens to participate in the election process. "Today is the BMC election," he said, urging everyone to vote to choose the right person. He further added that people should come out of their homes to cast their votes.
The BMC elections are taking place across 227 wards in Mumbai, with 1,700 candidates vying for these seats. Polling began at 7:30 am and will continue until 5:30 pm. Over 1.03 crore citizens are eligible to vote in these elections, including 55.16 lakh male voters and 48.26 lakh female voters. The State Election Commission has declared January 15, 2026, a public holiday in municipal areas to encourage voter participation.
These BMC elections are particularly significant, taking place after a nearly four-year delay. The last BMC election was held in 2017, and the civic body's term ended on March 7, 2022. Since then, Mumbai’s municipal administration has been run by an administrator, making this election crucial for restoring an elected local government. They also mark the first BMC polls since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena.
The political landscape is keenly contested, with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in a battle with the reunited Thackeray cousins for control of the corporation. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, have decided to jointly contest the seats. The Congress party has announced 143 candidates in Mumbai.
Authorities have implemented tight security measures to ensure peaceful and smooth elections. More than 28,000 police personnel have been deployed across Mumbai. Police have installed barricades at various locations and are conducting checks on vehicles. Of the 39,092 polling stations, 3,196 have been declared sensitive.
The counting of votes is scheduled for tomorrow, January 16, at 23 designated counting centers across Mumbai. The centers will be supervised by a Returning Officer and will have strong rooms, CCTV surveillance, and police deployment.
The BMC is India's richest civic body, overseeing key civic services such as infrastructure, health, and education. Its annual budget is over ₹74,400 crore. The results of this election will be crucial in shaping the city's future.
Besides Akshay Kumar, other notable personalities, including Sachin Tendulkar, Nana Patekar, Piyush Goyal, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, also cast their votes early in the day. Nana Patekar emphasized the importance of voting in a democracy.
