BMC election results 2026: Vote counting underway, BJP-led Mahayuti takes early lead

The counting of votes for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections is underway, with early trends showing a strong lead for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, followed by the Shiv Sena (UBT). The civic polls were held on Thursday, recording a voter turnout of 52.94%.

Results for all 227 wards of the BMC are being declared by the State Election Commission. Along with Mumbai, elections were also held for 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra, with results expected later today.

The BMC elections were conducted after a three-year delay. While the polls were originally scheduled for 2022, they were postponed due to multiple factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, disputes over ward delimitation, and a prolonged legal battle over reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local body elections.

Mumbaikars voted in the civic polls after nearly four years. According to the State Election Commission, voter turnout in Mumbai stood at 52.90% as of 5:30 pm on polling day.

Exit poll predictions

Ahead of the results, exit polls projected an advantage for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. The JVC exit poll predicted around 138 seats for the BJP+ alliance, while the Shiv Sena (UBT)-led bloc was projected to win about 59 seats. Axis My India estimated that the BJP alliance could secure between 131 and 151 seats, with the Uddhav Thackeray-led alliance expected to win 58–68 seats.

Counting process

Unlike the 2017 elections, where votes were counted simultaneously, counting this time is being conducted in phases. According to election officials, votes from two constituencies are being counted at a time, with results announced in batches.

What happened in 2017?

In the 2017 BMC elections, held in a single phase, the undivided Shiv Sena emerged as the largest party with 84 seats, narrowly ahead of the BJP, which won 82 seats. The Congress secured 31 seats, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won seven.

Since then, Maharashtra’s political landscape has changed dramatically. The Shiv Sena split in 2022 into factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde, while the NCP split in 2023 between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. The Shinde-led Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) aligned with the BJP to form the Mahayuti, while the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) came together under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner.

As counting progresses, the final outcome is expected to reflect these shifting alliances and reshape Mumbai’s civic power structure.