 Summary of this article
- The Shiv Sena UBT, MNS and NCP SP alliance is mixing welfare economics with assertion of the Marathi identity
- The Congress has adopted dual track strategy and is casting its net wider
- The ruling Mahayuti alliance is yet to release a consolidated manifesto
With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections and other major civic polls in Maharashtra scheduled for January 15, the contest has moved decisively into the terrain of competing manifestos, revealing sharp ideological and electoral divergences. At its core, the campaign has crystallised into a familiar Mumbai fault line. On one side is an assertive articulation of Marathi regional identity and a consciously inclusive, migrant-oriented outreach on the other.
The Shiv Sena UBT, MNS and NCP SP alliance, which reunited after nearly two decades, released its joint manifesto, Vachan Nama, on January 4. Anchored firmly in the Marathi manoos narrative, the document promises that Mumbai’s next Mayor will be Marathi. It prioritises local residents in municipal employment, housing allotments and educational admissions, mandates Marathi as the working language in civic offices and schools, and pledges strict action against what it terms illegal encroachments by migrants.
Its welfare commitments include ₹1,500 monthly assistance to women from economically weaker sections, including domestic workers and those in the unorganised sector, free electricity up to 100 units per month, free bus travel for senior citizens and students, subsidised water supply, accelerated flood mitigation projects, induction of 5,000 new buses, 50 per cent quota for Marathi families in affordable housing schemes, tax rebates for Marathi owned enterprises, and dedicated funding for Marathi cultural festivals and museums.
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In contrast, the Congress, while remaining part of the broader Maha Vikas Aghadi, has adopted a dual track strategy. Its primary Mumbai manifesto, released on December 30, foregrounds universal civic governance issues. These include corruption-free digital tendering, free education up to Class XII in municipal schools, health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family, a 30 per cent increase in green cover through urban forests, anti pollution measures, and a ₹1,000 monthly skill training stipend for unemployed youth.
Mumbai’s Citizens Are Taking On The Political Class Ahead Of BMC Polls
BY Jinit Parmar |
