The Maharashtra Election Commission is expected to announce the dates for the long-awaited Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other local body elections on Tuesday. State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare will hold a press conference in Mumbai at 4 pm to make the announcement.
The development comes amid demands from the opposition to postpone the elections, alleging irregularities in the voter list. The opposition claimed that the electoral roll dated July 1 contained duplicate and bogus names. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has said it plans to approach the court with evidence. However, election officials have clarified that once the poll process begins, court intervention would be difficult.
Also Read | AAP, Congress torches the BJP governments as ‘India Gate disappeared’ in smog
NCP leader sparks debate with tentative poll timeline
On November 3, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dilip Walse Patil created a stir after he mentioned tentative dates for the elections even before the official announcement.
Patil, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP- part of the Mahayuti government headed by the BJP said the Zilla Parishad elections could be held on December 15, while civic polls, including the BMC elections, might take place on January 15.
Also Read | Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee to take SIR battle to Kolkata streets on Tuesday
He added that the Supreme Court has fixed January 31, 2026, as the deadline for completing all pending local body elections in the state. “As per my information, the Zilla Parishad elections could be held on December 15, and the civic polls on January 15. The entire process will be completed before January 31,” Walse Patil said in a viral video.
Further details are expected once the Election Commission makes the official announcement later today.
