4 months ago
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A consciousness of uncertainty prevailed among young voters successful Mumbai arsenic they formed their ballot for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) predetermination connected Thursday (January 15, 2026). Most expected a “well-educated person” to beryllium appointed arsenic the BMC Mayor aft the polls.
Until the precise past infinitesimal starring up to the polls, galore remained undecided astir their choice. The disorder was centred astir the aggregate alliances successful the fray successful the civic assemblage polls successful Mumbai, the country’s richest civic body.
On Thursday (January 15, 2026), arsenic galore arsenic 1,700 candidates contested successful the 227 wards successful Mumbai. Of these, The Hindu visited wards 9 and 21.
In ward 9, candidates of the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, and Congress were successful the canvass fray, portion ward 21 successful Kandivali has BJP, MNS, and BSP candidates contesting.
Payal Dongre (20) and Rahul Khernar (30), some residents of Borivali, raised interest that these elections person been “confusing” arsenic they find themselves “stuck successful making the close choice”.
Ms. Dongre, who voted for the archetypal time, said: “BJP is communal, MNS is not little communal either. So however to determine the close candidate? I could lone take the slightest bad.” She said that she expects accrued employment opportunities for locals of Mumbai.
While Mr. Khernar expressed restitution with the BJP’s developmental agenda, helium said helium has hesitations implicit placing spot successful the turncoats. Citing the illustration of BJP campaigner Shweta Korgaonkar, who fought for Congress successful the 2017 elections, helium said: “We elite 1 campaigner and [later] spot that helium is entering the enactment we don’t want. No credibility oregon integrity is near successful candidates oregon their parties.”
In the 2017 BMC polls, Mr. Korgaonkar won from ward 9, and is present contesting connected a BJP summons successful ward 16. In this ward, the conflict is against BJP’s Shivanand Shetty, who was a Congress corporator successful 2012. Shiv Sena (UBT) campaigner Sanjay Bhosale and BSP’s Haresh Manoriya are besides contesting.
It’s a four-cornered conflict successful ward 9 with the combat betwixt the Mahayuti, comprising BJP, RPI, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde); Congress and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA); Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP-SP, and MNS; and BSP.
For ward 21, it is betwixt BJP, MNS, and BSP.
For BJP, who controlled ward 21 successful 2017, this clip volition beryllium astir regaining control, contesting against Congress and BSP.
BJP ex-corporator Leena Deherkar of ward 30 was fixed a summons from enactment to contention successful ward 21.
In 2017, the BJP won 82 seats, its all-time high, portion Shiv Sena (UBT) won 84 seats. Congress performed poorly, winning lone 31 seats and MNS lone 7. These numbers bespeak the BJP has dilatory accrued its clasp successful the BMC, traditionally dominated by the Thackerays.
A elector from Kandivali, a bundle technologist by assemblage who did not privation to beryllium named, said: “All parties person their ain elector base, and these alliances of convenience are protecting these bases. We are conscionable fillers who are voting based connected hope”.
Daisy Lal (21), nonmigratory of Mahavirnagar, Kandivali, finds the improvement docket of the BJP appealing, saying, “Comparing 4 years of the BJP with 25 years of Uddhav Thackeray and the family, improvement has been much disposable during the BJP’s tenure.” She said she does not align with the conception of Hindutva, but added that “sometimes improvement needs to beryllium prioritised”.
The voters besides pointed retired that the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) haveset their docket aroundthe Hindutva individuality and Marathi Manoos individuality respectively, giving their run a communal colour.
The BJP-led Mahayuti has been saying the Mayor volition beryllium “Hindu-Marathi”, portion Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS declared that they would name a Marathi Mayor. However, Gen-Z voters are steadfast connected seeking an “educated Mayor” who intends to pb with effectual policies.
