Maharashtra Civic Poll Public Holiday: Will BSE, NSE be closed on January 15, 2025?

The Maharashtra government has announced January 15, 2026, as a public holiday to enable voting for local body elections across the state. 

While the move settles administrative arrangements, clarity is still awaited on whether financial markets, including the BSE and NSE, will observe a trading holiday on the same day.

Maharashtra Declares January 15 a Public Holiday

The Maharashtra government issued a notification on January 7 declaring January 15, 2026, a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The decision is intended to ensure smooth conduct of civic elections across 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban areas.

The notification has been issued under powers delegated to the state government by the Ministry of Home Affairs, dating back to 1968. Polling will take place on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.

Significance of the Civic Elections

Among the urban bodies going to polls is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which governs Mumbai and manages one of the largest municipal budgets in the country.

 Alongside the BMC, elections will be held for 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra, making the exercise administratively significant.

Status of BSE and NSE Trading on January 15

Despite the holiday declaration, both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange have not issued any circular confirming a market closure. January 15 does not currently appear as a trading holiday in official exchange calendars.

The date also coincides with the weekly expiry of Sensex derivatives, which typically sees higher trading activity.

Banking and RBI-Regulated Markets

The Reserve Bank of India has also not released any communication regarding banking operations on January 15. 

Historically, markets regulated by the RBI such as government securities, call money, triparty repo and foreign exchange remain closed on days notified as holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

However, confirmation specific to this date is still awaited.

Commodity and Other Markets

The Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has not marked January 15, 2026, as a trading holiday either. Market participants are therefore monitoring official announcements from exchanges and regulators for final clarity.

Read More: List of Stock Market Holiday 2026.

Conclusion

While Maharashtra has declared January 15 a public holiday for civic elections, the operational status of Indian stock exchanges and financial markets remains uncertain. In the absence of official communication from the BSE, NSE or RBI, market participants are advised to stay alert for formal notifications closer to the date.

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Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.