BMC Election: Twenty-nine municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are going to the polls on January 15. The results will be declared on January 16. More than 15,000 candidates are contesting across the state. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Monday announced that around 1,700 candidates across 227 wards are participating in Mumbai alone.
While all municipal corporations have their significant role in urban governance and infrastructure development, all eyes are on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The BMC is widely regarded as the richest civic body in India and among the wealthiest in Asia. Its immense financial strength is reflected in an annual budget that surpasses those of several states, including Goa, Sikkim, and Tripura.
The civic body has massive budget of over Rs 74,000 crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year.On February 4, 2025, the BMC presented its budget of Rs 74,427 crore for FY26. This was their largest-ever budget, 14 percent higher than the previous year’s estimates. Of the total budget, Rs 43,166 crore, almost 58 per cent has been allocated for capital expenditure. As the term of Corporators (or Councillors) ended on March 7, 2022, the BMC has been functioning under an administrator due to the absence of an elected house.
Mumbai’s BMC budget bigger than THESE states
Interestingly, the civic body’s Rs 74,427 crore budget is larger than the entire budgets of several Indian states like Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. Refer to the table below for understanding the comparison.
| Entity | Budget (Rs crore) |
|---|---|
| BMC (Municipal Body) | 74,427 |
| Goa | 28,162 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 39,842 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 58,514 |
| Sikkim | 16,196 |
| Tripura | 31,412 |
BMC’s budget is on focus particularly as other civic bodies in India operate on far smaller scales. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has proposed a budget of Rs 16,530 crore for 2026-27, while Bengaluru’s BBMP approved a budget of around Rs 19,930 crore for 2025-26. In comparison, Ranchi Municipality’s total budget is less than 1% of the BMC’s budget.
How does BMC earn?
Fees, taxes, development charges and investment income contribute largely to the BMC’s financial strength. Among these, property tax remains a major contributor.
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