The Supreme Court on Tuesday set a final deadline of January 31, 2026, for holding local body elections in Maharashtra, paving the way for polls for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies across the state.

During a petition hearing, the apex court directed that all local bodies, zilla parishads, and panchayat samitis, must complete polls before January 31. It also criticised the Maharashtra State Election Commission for not adhering to its earlier schedule to conduct local body elections.