15 January,2026 11:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Counting will take place under tight security arrangements at designated counting centres. Pic/Ashish Raje
The BMC Election 2026 results will be announced on Friday, January 16 after the voting for the high-stake civic polls concluded on Thursday. The vote counting process will begin at 10 am, officials said.
Counting will take place under tight security at 23 designated counting centres.
Mumbai Police has made elaborate security and traffic arrangements at and around the counting centres, officials said.
Officials have said that all necessary preparations are in place to ensure a smooth and transparent counting process.
Candidates, party workers and election observers are expected to be present during the counting.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election is considered crucial in Maharashtra's politics with the civic body is one of the most high-profile municipal corporations in the country.
Voters and political parties, candidates and party workers were on Thursday seen waiting closely for the final outcome, which is expected to shape the Mumbai's political landscape for the coming years.
The phase-wise counting of votes for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections may delay the announcement of final results, civic officials said on Thursday, reported the PTI.
Unlike the 2017 elections, when votes from all 227 wards were counted simultaneously, the counting process this time will be carried out in phases.
According to a BMC release, vote counting will begin at 10 am on Friday across 23 centres in the city.
As per the plan, votes from only two wards at a time will be counted, meaning that counting for just 46 wards will start initially.
Officials said this approach could result in delayed trends and late declaration of results for all wards.
According to the PTI, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani acknowledged that the final results could be announced about an hour later than usual, though he added that the phased method is expected to improve focus and efficiency by allowing staff to concentrate on fewer wards at a time.
The civic body has deployed 2,299 officials and staff for the counting process, including 759 supervisors, 770 assistants and 770 Class IV employees, all of whom have received prior training. Counting will be carried out using a computerised system to ensure accuracy and transparency, reported the PTI.
The BMC has also arranged CCTV surveillance, security, traffic management, fire safety and medical facilities at all counting centres. Entry will be restricted to authorised candidates, their representatives and accredited media personnel with valid identity cards.
A total of 1,700 candidates contested the elections for 227 seats in Mumbai. The polls were held to form a new civic body for India's richest municipal corporation, which has a budget of Rs 74,400 crore for 2025-26.
The previous BMC elections were held in 2017, and the term of the last elected body ended in March 2022.
(wit PTI inputs)
