BMC Elections: State Election Commission pushes back deadline for releasing final voters’ list

by Webdesk
27 Nov 2025

Mumbai: Growing criticism over mistakes in the draft electoral roll for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections has prompted the State Election Commission (SEC) to once again push back the deadline for the release of the final voter list. The final publication of the rolls, which was originally scheduled for December 5, has now been shifted to December 10. This marks the second time the deadline has been extended, and the decision is expected to further prolong the civic election process across Maharashtra.

According to the latest announcement issued on Wednesday, the SEC has allowed an additional five days for officials to complete the scrutiny and corrections of the voter records. Along with this change, the date for issuing the booth-wise final voter list has also been rescheduled. Instead of December 12, these lists will now be announced on December 22. The commission has made it clear that the extension was unavoidable in light of the overwhelming number of complaints regarding inaccuracies in the draft rolls.

Over the past week, BMC and other civic bodies within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have been flooded with objections from voters claiming irregularities. A significant portion of these complaints alleges that voters have been shifted to incorrect wards without their knowledge, while thousands point toward repeated names appearing in the same or different wards. The opposition, especially Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress, has stepped up its criticism, claiming that deliberate manipulation of the voter lists is underway. They have jointly submitted a large volume of objections to the SEC demanding immediate corrections.

Presently, Mumbai alone is reported to have more than 1.1 million repeated entries out of a total of 4.4 million registered voters in the list prepared for the BMC elections. To prevent electoral malpractice, the BMC has already launched a door-to-door verification campaign. Booth-level officers and ward staff are making in-person visits to homes where duplication has been detected and are collecting declarations from voters confirming that they will cast their vote in only one designated ward. This exercise is being carried out to ensure that no individual gets the opportunity to vote more than once during the municipal polls.

The revised schedule announced by the commission points toward yet another likely setback in preparing for the civic polls in Mumbai and other major urban centers. There had been strong indications that the SEC was planning to conduct the municipal corporation elections between January 15 and January 20. However, with the extension of the voter list deadline, this timeline now appears uncertain. Senior officials from the state urban development department have suggested that the postponement could push the civic body elections back by a minimum of two weeks, further adding to the already extended waiting period.

Political circles have been keeping a close watch on the developments, especially since finalizing the voter lists is crucial before the election programme can be officially issued. Earlier controversies surrounding seat delimitation, ward structuring, and reservation categories had already delayed the BMC elections for more than two years. With the latest changes to the voter list timeline, there is concern that the electoral process may stretch even further.

Meanwhile, the SEC has advised civic bodies to accelerate the correction process and ensure that the final rolls published on December 10 are accurate and fully updated. Officers involved in the verification campaign have been instructed to carefully scrutinize every complaint and resolve voter concerns without bias. Alongside the online portal, help desks at ward offices and the BMC headquarters continue to assist citizens who wish to check or correct their names.

While the SEC insists that the extensions are necessary for transparency and accountability, the opposition maintains that the constant changes are a result of severe administrative mismanagement by the government. Regardless of the political debate, it is now evident that the finalization of the voter list is the deciding factor for determining when Mumbai’s long-awaited civic elections will finally be held.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

BMC Elections: State Election Commission pushes back deadline for releasing final voters’ list

Related News

BMC Election: किती उमेदवारांचे अर्ज वैध, किती बाद? मुंबई महापालिकेत अखेर कितीजण मैदानात?

मुंबईकरांसाठी मोठी घोषणा: १० रुपयांचा नाश्ता आणि महिलांना १५०० रुपये, ज्युनिअर ठाकरेंचा महामेगाप्लान उघड

BMC निवडणूक: ठाकरे बंधूंची 227 उमेदवारांची अंतिम यादी जाहीर! तुमच्या प्रभागातून कोण मैदानात? पाहा सविस्तर

Mumbai civic polls: NCP to approach State Election Commission, alleges bias favouring BJP–Shiv Sena candidates