The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday announced that it will contest the upcoming BMC Elections 2026 independently, fielding candidates in all 227 wards and ruling out any alliance with other political parties, party leaders said on Friday.
The party said that the decision marks its formal entry into Mumbai’s civic politics and aims to provide an alternative to what it described as decades of misgovernance by established parties.
Addressing the media, Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP Mumbai chief, said that despite Mumbai’s status as India’s Urbs Prima, civic governance had deteriorated sharply.
“The BMC has an annual budget of Rs 74,447 crore, the largest in Asia. Mumbaikars pay the highest taxes in the country, yet receive poor-quality public services,” she said.
BMC has become plagued by corruption
Menon alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has become plagued by corruption and inefficiency.
She pointed to the closure of BMC-run schools, declining educational standards, lack of functional primary healthcare centres, overburdened public hospitals, and the steady decline of BEST’s bus fleet.
She also highlighted issues such as poor garbage management, shrinking green cover, rising pollution levels, and the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea.
Dharavi redevelopment project
Criticising the Dharavi redevelopment project, Menon claimed it represented “the biggest land grab in independent India’s history”. She further noted that the BMC had functioned without elected representatives for the past four years and alleged that the civic body’s fixed deposits had fallen significantly during this period. “This is avoidable suffering inflicted on Mumbaikars by a self-serving political class. Every party has looted Mumbai,” she said.
Party prepared to offer a governance-focused alternative: Singh
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said the party was prepared to offer a governance-focused alternative, citing its record in Delhi and Punjab under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann. “AAP has delivered quality education, healthcare, electricity, and water without corruption and without debt. Mumbai needs the same model,” he said.
Singh added that even a small presence in the BMC would ensure meaningful participation. “With just seven corporators, AAP will have a house leader and representation on all statutory committees, including Standing, Improvement, Health, Education, and BEST,” he said.
Referring to AAP’s past performance, Singh recalled that the party secured a 5.16 per cent vote share and over 2.73 lakh votes in Mumbai during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. “We are confident of improving on that performance. Mumbai needs AAP, and we will contest all 227 seats on our own strength,” he said.
AAP`s first list
AAP also released a list of 21 candidates who will be contesting the elections. According to the party, the first list includes candidates from wards numbered 3, 23, 29, 31, 40, 43, 48, 53, 54, 83, 90, 134, 146, 148, 151, 190, 206, 211, 221, 225, and 227.
List of candidates
Ward 3: Rajendra (Rajan) Ramadhar Mishra
Ward 23: Tilak Kumar Choudhari
Ward 29: Rajbali Rambaran Sahani
Ward 31: Poonam Ashish Das
Ward 40: Jilajeet Ramshabad Yadav
Ward 43: Irfan Nawab Khan
Ward 48: Larzy Varghees
Ward 53: Ravindra Dodiye
Ward 54: Mahendra Bhosle Malusare
Ward 83: Preeti Sunder Padhmukh
Ward 90: Suresh Keshav Acharya
Ward 134: Nasreen Sajid Khan
Ward 146: Bahusaheb Rangnath Varthe
Ward 148: Neeta Kiran Sukhtankar
Ward 151: Jyoti Vijay Kshirsagar
Ward 190: Pranali Girish Raut
Ward 206: Ashok Ramdular Upadhyay
Ward 211: Mohd. Aslam Muneer Merchant
Ward 221: Zunaid Jamil Khan
Ward 225: Deepaq Rajan Silan
Ward 227: Maraaret Hermit Dacosta
After a delay of almost three years — exactly 34 months, elections to the BMC will finally be held on January 15, 2026, with counting on January 16. The previous five-year term ended in February 2022.
