4 months ago
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Over 3 crore voters are expected to cast their ballots connected Thursday (January 15, 2026) arsenic 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra spell to polls. With astir municipal corporations’ word expiring betwixt 2019-2022, these civic bodies person been tally by administrators since then.
In Mumbai, the tussle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is simply a combat betwixt 3 antithetic coalitions — the Thackeray cousins (Raj and Uddhav) with Sharad Pawar’s NCP, BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Among galore firsts, voters volition spot 2 Shiv Senas and 2 NCPs in the fray on with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), BJP, Congress and smaller parties similar AAP, SP, VBA, RPI(A).
Confusing coalitions
“Who is predetermination meant for? Voters oregon the political parties,” asks Mridul Nile, Associate Professor successful Political Science, Mumbai University, adding, “Every enactment has its lawsuit base. But with such kind of alliances, the voter won’t be capable to very intelligibly and categorically spell according to his ain governmental choices”.
Warning that voters go apathetic successful look of specified unusual alliances, Dr. Nile says, “This is why Congress opted out of allying with Shiv Sena (UBT) as MNS joined in. On the 1 hand, Uddhav Thackrey, successful a way is appeasing Muslims and Raj Thackeray is against them. In such kind of situations, you find BJP gets a clear-cut advantage as they are not compromising with ideology.” When asked astir the Congress switching coalitions in Pune, he says, ”The party volition effort to maximize their ain position and are trying to get into such kind of alliances in immoderate places. But largely, it does not emerge like that.”
Voters too have voiced their disorder implicit the alliances. Shubhayan Bhattacharya, a Mira road resident and a first-time civic voter says, “If determination are truthful galore different, multi-cornered race, past it becomes hard to marque up your caput due to the fact that past you don’t know which mode they volition plaything aft you elect them. Moreover, the candidates fielded by these parties are not known faces. What are their qualifications? In a local election I would similar to ballot for a candidate. But erstwhile he/she is not a known figure, you whitethorn person to go party-wise”.
Similarly, Pradeep Surekha, a BJP supporter and Mumbai-based builder, terms the Thackeray confederation arsenic ‘unacceptable’, saying, “Shiv Sena and BJP are successful coalition, that is acceptable. But successful immoderate places, they are warring against each other. We voters are confused. In the Thackeray-MNS alliance, Uddhav favours the Muslims portion Raj Thackeray is against North Indians. Ajit Pawar is with them (BJP-Sena) astatine Centre and State, but is warring them here, successful Pune etc. They (parties) are trying to merchantability this just to summation power. There are no morals or ethics.”
However, wide choices look among Sena’s halfway Marathi voters. Charushila Golam, a Mumbai-based Marathi writer says, “(Eknath) Shinde has been precise operative in Mumbai. Be it Atal Setu or Samruddhi Expressway, he seems to have Mumbai’s interests astatine heart. It is because helium has risen the ranks of the original Shiv Sena as a communal man. When the others (Sena UBT) were successful power, immoderate things they executed were not upto expectations. While, helium (Uddhav Thackeray) has done good successful immoderate areas, helium lacks leadership within the party. Both Senas’ corporators volition triumph due to the fact that of their workmanship, not due to the fact that of the party”.
Even successful Chembur’s Lokhandemarg area, which has a beardown Marathi ballot base, Sena voters are clear. Sunanda, a househelp says, “We person ever voted for Balasaheb Thackeray and volition proceed to support Uddhav.” While she credits erstwhile Congress MP Chandrakant Handore for being liable for solving h2o issues successful the area, she affirms, “Thackeray has ever stood for us.”
Ajinkya Gaikwad, Assistant Professor of Politics, SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, states that successful section elections it is the campaigner which matters and not the alliances which the party enters into. “In places were quotas (women, SC/ST) are successful play, Shiv Sena (UBT) did not see earlier distributing tickets. These radical person present switched to BJP. A voter from a lower middle class background, would beryllium precise definite astir the person whom they are voting for. And I think, voter turnout should beryllium higher this clip considering that there has been a long hiatus, contempt the disorder and the clutter successful the governmental scenario.”
BMC has remained with the Shiv Sena since 1985 (barring 1992-1996). However, BJP has been steadily making inroads into the Sena turf arsenic the city’s demography changed. In 2017, BJP won 82 seats while the undivided Shiv Sena won 84 arsenic the 2 contested alone. With the autumn of the Shiv Sena-BJP confederation successful 2019 and the divided of Sena successful 2022, Mr. Shinde has challenged Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s assertion arsenic the ‘true’ Sena twice. In the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, Mr. Shinde outperformed Mr. Uddhav Thackeray successful presumption of seat-share but successful astir of the seats successful Mumbai wherever the 2 Senas clashed, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray won.
Wooing its supporters, BJP and Shiv Sena person stuck to Hindutva and ousting ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ arsenic their main canvass plank, assuring Mumbai volition person a ‘Marathi Hindu mayor’, promising fast-tracked advancement of the city’s Metro network, amended housing for chawls/slum dwellers. On the different hand, the Thackerays are campaigning connected a unified ‘Marathi Manoos’ plank and have promised escaped power up to 100 units, 1 lakh affordable homes, spot tax waiver connected homes up to 700 sq. ft, monthly currency transfer of ₹1,500 to house helps and Koli women, subsidised meals astatine ₹10 and financial aid for self-employment. They person also promised hospitals, ambulances, pet parks and acquisition reforms.
Marathi Manoos factor
“In the areas wherever the Marathi chawls are present, the Shiv Sena-MNS will person the precocious hand,” says Dr. Nile, when asked however overmuch sway does the ‘Marathi manoos’ plank hold. He adds, “Right from the beginning, they have been criticizing Shinde Sena alleging that he (Shinde) has not been loyal to the Marathi Manoos. The fact that Shinde Sena is with the BJP besides gives him (Shinde) a small bit of North Indian touch. Obviously, Shinde Sena volition not get the votes of both North Indians arsenic good as the Maharashtrians”.
However, helium says determination is simply a deep discontent among young Sena karyakatas (workers) aged 35-50, who built the enactment from the grassroots under Balasaheb Thackeray. “These Sena (UBT) karyakartas are going either to BJP or Shinde Sena because of these antithetic alliances, party strategy and summons distribution. I think its is clip for Shiv Sena (UBT) to reflect upon wherefore and how they privation to instrumentality this particular election ahead.
“Marathi Vs non-Marathi contented volition play up lone successful areas where at least 60-70% of the ward’s population is Marathi,” says Dr. Gaikwad, giving examples of Lalbaug and Parel. However, successful areas with mixed population, similar Kurla, Andheri oregon adjacent Chembur, specified authorities whitethorn beryllium ineffective, helium says, adding, “As this is simply a substance of endurance for Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, they are bound to woo the Marathi vote. What the Shiv Sena (UBT) is banking upon is to consolidate the Marathi ballot base, which is largely split among 4 parties. Ego issues are in the backmost burner arsenic the larger non-Marathi elector has already gone to the BJP and or is soliciting with the Congress.”
Accountability, corruption and municipality expansion
After 3 years under a local administrators, voters are enthused to take their ain representative. “In the past six-seven months, elector surveys person shown that portion bureaucratically tally municipalities are efficient, these officers don’t listen to citizens’ concerns. There is accountability that a section person whitethorn have. Though, voter turnouts successful Mumbai’s metropolitan area are generally not very great, but I judge we tin prolong it and surpass it by a fewer percent points this time,” opines Dr. Gaikwad.
Rapid urbanisation with backstage players expanding crossed Mumbai’s existent property has builders and voters acrophobic alike. “During COVID-19 lockdown, construction had slowed down but successful the past 2-3 years, monolithic projects person cropped up. These caller projects are planned haphazardly and there is nary clarity arsenic to however the infrastructure needs for these volition beryllium met. More buildings require more h2o supply. We already look regular h2o cuts and person nary thought wherever the sewage and drainage strategy for the buildings volition fit,” says Mr. Bhattacharya, the Mira roadworthy resident.
With the lack of a corporator, helium says determination was nary mode to contention these projects arsenic residents were not taken into confidence. “If we locomotion into the MBMC office, the bureaucrats say go and talk to Thane office as it falls nether them. In Thane, they accidental the orders came from above. There is nary accountability,” helium adds. His opinions are echoed by Ms. Golam too. “Mumbai’s colonisation has increased exponentially and it needs amended planning, not conscionable expansion. Who has given sanction for all these new buildings? You request to plan for a better education healthcare facilities and day-to-day services like drains, water, electricity. If one person (corporator) cannot be made disposable for us, they have to create managers down the enactment who does regular check-ups.“
On the builders side, existent property enlargement has travel with rampant corruption. As an industrialist seeking plot in Mumbai’s MIDC area, Mr. Surekha says, “Corruption was ever prevalent successful each (civic) organisation. Earlier prices were astatine ₹20-30 lakhs and present they request successful crores. How volition industries travel up? The BMC’s fund is bigger than smaller states similar Goa oregon adjacent to Jharkhand. Any builder has miscellaneous expenses isolated from operation itself and is expected to ammunition retired crores owed to corruption.” He besides lists amerciable hawking and sound contamination arsenic smaller issues, which helium thinks his prime of corporator should tackle.
Air prime not a interest yet
One issue, which sadly remained absent from voters’ minds, was aerial quality. Mumbai, which has featured in top 10 to 15 astir polluted cities successful the world, has an mean Air Quality Index (AQI) of 152.
Lack of factual plans to tackle aerial contamination is evident from the parties manifestos itself. “They speech astir controlling AQI, but want to slash spot taxes by 50% and dole retired monthly transfers to women. If everything is simply a freebie, how volition the municipality function,” asks Dr. Nile.
Ms. Sumanda, the househelp, laments: “The Ladki Bahin scheme, which sends ₹1,500 per period to women aged 21-65 years, excessively has mislaid its entreaty among voters. They are sending money, but they are besides hiking prices of groceries.”
Dr. Gaikwad says, “Among voters, there is simply a sentiment that we are amended than different cities. Voters accidental we are at 150 while so-and-so city is 500 oregon 600. They person comparative comparisons to make themselves consciousness amended and that is the larger problem.” Political volition too seems inconsistent connected this issue. “Despite a prominent politician like Aaditya Thackeray talking astir it, however galore section candidates are truly alert of these issues and are successful enactment with their cardinal enactment of that party,” helium asks.
He concludes that environmental movements are led by a middle class audience, saying, “Nuanced knowing of biology jurisprudence oregon laws and the larger effects of it, is felt by the mediate class. They are the ones who volition instrumentality up the issues, but much radical connected the little mediate people oregon little backgrounds whitethorn not deliberation of environment as dearly due to the fact that they volition person existential oregon endurance issues”.
Proving his point, Ms. Sunanda says each parties who campaigned successful her chawl committedness to install a dedicated tap h2o connection to her house.
