While Zohran Mamdani on November 4 scripted history by becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor-elect - and its youngest since 1917 - many in India have turned the spotlight on their own cities, asking: Where are the mayors of Metro cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai?
Bengaluru, a city known for its citizen activism, vibrant civic groups, and online campaigns, has been without an elected council for over five years. The last BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) elections were held in 2015, and the council’s term ended in September 2020.
In the absence of an elected council, decisions are now taken by deputy CM and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar and state government–appointed bureaucrats.
Also, read: That sinking feeling again: Bengaluru crumbles in rain, city without elected council for over 4 years
Similarly, Mumbai’s civic body - the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) - the largest in Maharashtra and the richest in India, has been under administrative rule since 2022. The BMC, which governs India’s most populous city, operates with a budget larger than several smaller states and comprises 227 wards, second only to the Delhi Municipal Corporation. The last BMC elections were held in 2017.
While Mumbai’s BMC had a budget of Rs 74,427.41 crore for 2025–26, Bengaluru’s BBMP budget stood at Rs 19,930 crore. Despite these massive outlays, both civic agencies continue to face criticism from citizens over poor infrastructure.
Citizens react online
Ramesh Srivats wrote on X, “Quick. Tell me the name of the mayor of your city. Tick tock tick tock tick tock. No idea, uh? Ok, let's go back to discussing Zohran Mamdani. Much more fun.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Nikhil Ramesh (@nikhil2197) posted, “Everyone knows Mamdani, no one knows the mayor of Bengaluru / Mumbai / Delhi. jk Bengaluru hasn't had local body elections in 10 years.”
Ayush Nadimpalli (@ayush4bharat) pointed out, “It’s just a mayor election. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad have populations larger than New York City and thriving economies. Do you know the names of the mayors of those cities without googling? Do you know that Bengaluru has been without a mayor for the last five years?”
Marwan Nizamuddin (@MarwanNizam) added, “New York City got its mayor. When is #Bengaluru gonna get its mayor? It’s been more than 5 years!”
Similarly, Arjun (@mxtaverse) remarked, “Enough of Mamdani and NYC. The last time Bengaluru had a mayor or corporators was in 2020. Mumbai has had no mayor or corporators since 2022. Even the cities where we have mayors, they are powerless to change anything. No wonder our cities have become a complete mess.”
Administrative rule continues
In the absence of elected representatives, city council meetings - where corporators typically discuss ward-level issues, projects, and policies - are not being held. And civic budgets are being presented by bureaucrats without any public consultation or debate.
Bengaluru civic polls in Feb?
Sources said elections to the five municipal corporations under the new Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are likely in February 2026. The Greater Bangalore Administration Act, 2024, which came into effect on May 15, 2025, replaced the BBMP’s 198 wards with five corporations and 368 wards. The draft ward delimitation, based on the 2011 Census, was published on September 30 following the Ward Re-Delineation Commission’s report.
Mumbai may vote soon
The Maharashtra State Election Commission has recently announced that polls for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats will be held on December 2. Maharashtra’s civic bodies have been under administrators since 2022, with elections delayed due to a Supreme Court case.
Also, read: BMC elections soon: Old players, new teams, high stakes as Mumbai keenly awaits civic polls
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