On Monday, December 29, Congress released its initial list of 70 candidates for the upcoming BMC elections. The following day, December 30, the party announced an additional list with 56 candidates, bringing the total number of candidates announced to 126.
These announcements coincide with the nomination filing deadline of December 30, illustrating the party’s effort to solidify its electoral strategy within India’s largest civic body, according to news agency PTI.
The BMC electoral process has reached a pivotal stage, with December 30 designated as the final date for submission of nomination papers, and the definitive list of candidates set to be published on January 3.
The release of the Congress candidate lists is anticipated to facilitate candidates in ramping up campaign activities across essential wards in Mumbai.
बृहन्मुंबई महानगरपालिका निवडणूक – २०२६ साठी भारतीय राष्ट्रीय काँग्रेस पक्षाच्या वतीने अधिकृत उमेदवारांची दुसरा यादी जाहीर करण्यात येत आहे. निवड झालेल्या सर्व उमेदवारांचे अभिनंदन आणि शुभेच्छा…
आपली मुंबई घडवूया…
मुंबईच्या हितासाठी काँग्रेसला निवडूया..#Mission2026 #Mumbai… pic.twitter.com/ZPJbu8n7Jx— Mumbai Congress (@INCMumbai) December 30, 2025
The BMC, comprising 227 seats, is commonly regarded as the richest municipal corporation in the country, with an annual budget surpassing ₹74,000 crore, according to PTI. As such, control over this civic body is seen as both politically and administratively significant.
Seat-sharing with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi
The Congress candidate lists follow the finalization of a seat-sharing agreement with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by former MP Prakash Ambedkar.
This alliance was established on Sunday, December 28, prior to the release of the candidate list.
Under this agreement, the VBA will contest 62 seats in the BMC elections, while the Congress will field candidates in the remaining constituencies allocated to it as part of the understanding.
Allies announce separate candidate lists
Besides Congress and VBA, other coalition partners have begun announcing their nominees as well. Former Maharashtra minister Mahadev Jankar’s Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), contesting the civic polls in alliance with Congress, unveiled its first list of six candidates, as per PTI.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) named candidates for seven seats in Mumbai.
This party is a part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) but has not formed any separate alliance with other political parties specifically for the Mumbai civic elections.
Maharashtra civic polls schedule
Election for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Nagpur, will occur on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.
Read more: BMC Elections 2026: Shinde’s Shiv Sena and BJP finalize seat-sharing, check details
As nomination deadlines approach and alliances solidify, the BMC Elections 2026 are poised for intense multi-cornered contests throughout Mumbai’s wards.
