In BMC polls, where are the solutions Mumbai urgently needs?

The aam Mumbaikar needs only the lightest prod to talk about the several problems that plague the city by the sea: Potholed, traffic-choked roads and broken, overcrowded footpaths; towering mounds of waste that befoul its air and untreated sewage that chokes its water bodies; a public bus system perennially in the red and corrupt housing schemes. Few of these issues, however, seem to have occupied the spotlight in the run-up to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election. Sadly, a narrow and divisive identity politics and political-electoral short-termism climbed centre stage in the campaign for India’s financial capital and one of its most cosmopolitan cities.

Taking place after a delay of almost four years, these local body polls in Maharashtra were marked by a more frantic than usual making and breaking of unlikely alliances. Amid the scramble, an old linguistic faultline was excavated in the BMC elections by the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). Dredged up in response to an ill-conceived attempt by the Maharashtra government to bring the three-language policy to the state’s schools last year, the “Marathi manoos” plank saw the Thackeray cousins reunite. The BJP has sought to outdo their nativist pitch, with the added twist of Hindutva politics, as seen in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s assertion that Mumbai’s next mayor will be a “Hindu Marathi” from the Mahayuti. This election was also the first local body poll, perhaps, to witness a large-scale contest of cash transfers and subsidies. Manifestos teemed with promises such as property tax waivers, free electricity and financial aid for domestic workers and women from the Koli community. The problems of Mumbai’s structural decay, in need of long-term and patient solutions, were left untouched.

The municipal body that Mumbai elects today will form the crucial point of contact for citizens, with a direct impact on their quality of life in a time of fast-paced change. A long to-do list awaits the incoming cohort of 227 corporators. They need to fix public transport, formulate the long-promised policy on street vendors, create a parking plan for a city with an exploding vehicle density and manage the myriad problems of water quality, sewage treatment and waste management. The city of dreams is in urgent need of fixing. It will take accountability at the third tier of governance, a raft of imaginative solutions and a politics that is future-facing.

Overall Analysis

The editorial critiques the disconnect between Mumbai’s pressing civic problems and the issues dominating the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election campaign. It opens by vividly listing the everyday struggles of the aam Mumbaikar — crumbling infrastructure, waste mismanagement, pollution, failing public transport and corruption. This opening grounds the argument in lived reality and immediately establishes what the election should be about.

The author then contrasts these urgent concerns with the actual focus of the campaign, which has been overtaken by identity politics and short-term electoral calculations. The language here is disapproving and sharp, using phrases like “narrow and divisive identity politics” and “political-electoral short-termism” to underline the shallowness of the debate. By tracing how linguistic and religious identities were strategically revived and amplified by political parties, the editorial highlights how symbolic politics displaced substantive governance discussions.

Further, the editorial criticises the rise of competitive populism — cash transfers, subsidies and giveaways — describing them as distractions from Mumbai’s structural decay. The use of words such as “teemed with promises” suggests excess and lack of seriousness, reinforcing the idea that long-term urban planning has been sacrificed for immediate political gain.

In the final paragraph, the tone shifts from criticism to prescription. The editorial reminds readers of the central role of municipal governance in citizens’ daily lives and lays out a clear agenda for the incoming corporators. The language becomes constructive and forward-looking, stressing accountability, imagination and future-oriented politics. The concluding metaphor of Mumbai as the “city of dreams” in need of fixing adds emotional weight to the call for responsible local governance.

Important Vocabulary (5)

1. Befoul – to pollute or make dirty.
2. Faultline – a deep division or source of conflict within society.
3. Nativist – favouring the interests of native inhabitants over outsiders.
4. Teemed – were full of or abundant.
5. Cohort – a group of people sharing a common characteristic or role.

Conclusion & Tone

The editorial argues that Mumbai’s civic elections have failed to prioritise governance and long-term urban solutions, instead being hijacked by identity politics and populist promises. It calls for accountable, imaginative and future-focused leadership at the municipal level to address the city’s deep-rooted challenges.

Tone: Critical, concerned, and ultimately aspirational — urging a shift from divisive politics to solution-driven urban governance.