Maharashtra just wrapped up voting for 29 municipal corporations. That’s 3.48 crore people who got to choose from nearly 16,000 candidates. Everyone’s watching the big one: the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
BMC Elections 2026: Exit Polls
It’s not just India’s richest civic body with a massive Rs 74,400 crore budget, but also the stage for a fierce contest. This time, 1,700 candidates are fighting for 227 seats after a four-year wait.
Exit polls are already out there, and they’re all pointing in the same direction. Axis My India says the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance could take between 131 and 151 seats in Mumbai. JVC puts them at 138. Sakal says 119. Either way, it looks like Mahayuti has the edge.
Mumbai’s election has turned into a real showdown. On one side, you’ve got the Thackeray brothers back together after two decades, trying to reclaim their legacy. On the other hand, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance stands strong.
BMC Results: When will they be declared?
The State Election Commission says January 16 is the day. But before that, as soon as voting ends, agencies start rolling out their exit polls.
Let’s be real: exit polls often miss the mark. They’re based on what people say right after they vote, but the real story only comes out once counting starts at 10 am this Friday.
This time, Mumbai’s got a complicated fight on its hands. There’s the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS team-up, and the Congress-VBA camp. For 26 years straight, the undivided Shiv Sena ruled the BMC.
The last big BMC election was in 2017, with the (then-united) Shiv Sena and BJP battling it out for control. Now, with old alliances broken and new ones in play, all eyes are on what happens next.
Exit polls from Axis My India, JVC, and Sakal all point to a big win for the BJP-led Mahayuti Alliance in the BMC elections in Mumbai. Axis My India puts Mahayuti’s tally somewhere between 131 and 151 seats. JVC’s numbers land at 138 seats, and Sakal sees Mahayuti coming out on top with 119.
BMC Elections 2026: Axis My India
BMC – Exit Poll – Seat Share – Vote Share (%)#BMCElections2026#ExitPoll2026#AxisMyIndia pic.twitter.com/xE535uMm3B
— Axis My India (@AxisMyIndia) January 15, 2026
BMC Elections 2026: JVC
JVC’s poll goes a bit deeper. It says the Mahayuti Alliance should win big with 138 seats, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS Alliance land at 59. As for vote share, JVC expects the BJP, Shiv Sena, and their allies under the Mahayuti banner to snag 42-45% of the votes. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (SP) alliance is projected to get 34-37%.
BMC Elections 2026: SAAM TV
Saam TV’s exit poll zooms out across Maharashtra. It sees BJP-led alliances doing well in several municipal corporations. In Mumbai, the alliance leads the pack. Pune is a bit different; BJP looks set to be the largest party, but it probably won’t get a clear majority.
In Pimpri Chinchwad, BJP’s in front again. Ahilyanagar could go to a BJP–NCP alliance, and Jalna seems to follow the same trend, with the BJP alliance ahead there too.
BMC Elections 2026: DV Research
DV Research has its own numbers. It projects the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance winning between 107 and 122 seats. The Thackeray brothers’ alliance comes in with 68 to 83, and the Congress-led alliance might grab 18 to 35. Everyone else—including independents could take 8 to 15 seats.
BMC Elections 2026: Democracy Times Network
Democracy Times Network’s exit poll for the 2026 BMC elections shows the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance cruising to a clear majority with 142 out of 227 seats.
The opposition bloc Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (SP) is looking at 58 seats, while the Congress–VBA alliance could get 19. Other parties round out the numbers with eight seats. The poll says there’s a margin of error of about five seats, give or take.
