Maharashtra Municipal Elections (Credit: OpenAI)
Municipal elections in Maharashtra had remained stalled for several years due to legal and administrative hurdles. As a result, several major cities were functioning without elected civic bodies. The Supreme Court then directed the State Election Commission to complete all pending local body elections before January 31, 2026. Acting on this order, the commission announced the second phase of municipal elections, ending prolonged uncertainty. Many cities were being run by appointed administrators, raising concerns over democratic governance. The court’s intervention finally set the process in motion.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare announced the election schedule during a press conference on Monday. He said the decision covers municipal corporations whose terms have already ended. According to the commission, elections will be held in 29 key cities across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The focus, he clarified, is strictly on restoring elected urban local bodies within the court-mandated deadline.
Out of the 29 municipal corporations, the terms of 27 had already expired. Several terms ended as early as 2020. Mumbai and 18 other corporations completed their tenure in 2022, while four more ended in 2023. Elections were repeatedly delayed, leaving cities without elected representatives for years. This directly affected local governance and public accountability.
The State Election Commission has released a detailed election timeline. Nomination papers can be filed between December 23 and December 30, 2025. Scrutiny will take place on December 31. The last date for withdrawal is January 2, 2026. The final list of candidates and election symbols will be issued on January 3. Polling will be held on January 15, followed by vote counting on January 16, 2026.
The elections will cover major urban regions across the state. The Mumbai metropolitan region includes Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar, and Panvel. Other regions include Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Ichalkaranji, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Malegaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Nanded-Waghala, Parbhani, Jalna, Nagpur, Akola, Amravati, and Chandrapur.
Municipal corporations play a key role in providing basic services such as roads, water supply, sanitation, and public transport. Control over civic bodies is also crucial for political parties to strengthen their urban base. After years of delay, these elections are expected to draw close attention from both parties and voters.
Once results are declared on January 16, elected councils will take charge from appointed administrators. This will restore democratic decision-making at the city level. Civic governance is expected to regain momentum, with elected representatives becoming directly accountable to citizens.
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