After years of delay, the much-anticipated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are finally set to take place. Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Monday officially declared the election schedule, bringing clarity to one of the most awaited civic polls in the country.

Addressing a press conference, Waghmare announced that voting for the BMC will be held on January 15, while the counting of votes will take place on January 16. This election is significant as the last BMC polls were conducted in February 2017, making it nearly eight years since Mumbai elected its municipal representatives.

The Election Commission has also announced election dates for 28 other Municipal Corporations across Maharashtra, including major cities such as Pune, Nagpur, Thane, and Nashik. In total, elections will be held for 29 municipal corporations, covering 2,869 civic seats.

According to the State Election Commission, around 3.48 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes in these urban local bodies, making it one of the largest civic election exercises in the state’s history. The elections will play a crucial role in shaping urban governance, infrastructure development, and civic administration across Maharashtra.

The nomination process will begin on December 23 and continue until December 30. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be carried out on December 31, while January 2 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The final list of candidates and symbol allocation will be published on January 3.

Waghmare confirmed that voting across all 29 municipal corporations, including the BMC, will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The announcement has set the stage for intense political activity, especially in Mumbai, where control of the BMC is considered politically prestigious and strategically important.