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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This...

Shinde dilutes demand

Likely to be content with Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai Mumbai: In a decisive shift that redraws the power dynamics of Maharashtra’s urban politics, the standoff over the prestigious Mumbai Mayor’s post has ended with a strategic compromise. Following days of resort politics and intense backroom negotiations, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has reportedly diluted its demand for the top job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling instead for the Deputy Mayor’s post. This development, confirmed by high-ranking party insiders, follows the realization that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) effectively ceded its claims on the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to protect the alliance, facilitating a “Mumbai for BJP, Kalyan for Shinde” power-sharing formula. The compromise marks a complete role reversal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Both the political parties were in alliance with each other for over 25 years before 2017 civic polls. Back then the BJP used to get the post of Deputy Mayor while the Shiv Sena always enjoyed the mayor’s position. In 2017 a surging BJP (82 seats) had paused its aggression to support the undivided Shiv Sena (84 seats), preferring to be out of power in the Corporation to keep the saffron alliance intact. Today, the numbers dictate a different reality. In the recently concluded elections BJP emerged as the single largest party in Mumbai with 89 seats, while the Shinde faction secured 29. Although the Shinde faction acted as the “kingmaker”—pushing the alliance past the majority mark of 114—the sheer numerical gap made their claim to the mayor’s post untenable in the long run. KDMC Factor The catalyst for this truce lies 40 kilometers north of Mumbai in Kalyan-Dombivali, a region considered the impregnable fortress of Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Shrikant Shinde. While the BJP performed exceptionally well in KDMC, winning 50 seats compared to the Shinde faction’s 53, the lotter for the reservation of mayor’s post in KDMC turned the tables decisively in favor of Shiv Sena there. In the lottery, the KDMC mayor’ post went to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribe candidate. The BJP doesn’t have any such candidate among elected corporatros in KDMC. This cleared the way for Shiv Sena. Also, the Shiv Sena tied hands with the MNS in the corporation effectively weakening the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s alliance with them. Party insiders suggest that once it became clear the BJP would not pursue the KDMC Mayor’s chair—effectively acknowledging it as Shinde’s fiefdom—he agreed to scale down his demands in the capital. “We have practically no hope of installing a BJP Mayor in Kalyan-Dombivali without shattering the alliance locally,” a Mumbai BJP secretary admitted and added, “Letting the KDMC become Shinde’s home turf is the price for securing the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow for a BJP corporator for the first time in history.” The formal elections for the Mayoral posts are scheduled for later this month. While the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—led by the Shiv Sena (UBT)—has vowed to field candidates, the arithmetic heavily favors the ruling alliance. For Eknath Shinde, accepting the Deputy Mayor’s post in Mumbai is a tactical retreat. It allows him to consolidate his power in the MMR belt (Thane and Kalyan) while remaining a partner in Mumbai’s governance. For the BJP, this is a crowning moment; after playing second fiddle in the BMC for decades, they are poised to finally install their own “First Citizen” of Mumbai.

Urban Mirage

Updated: Jan 9, 2025

Mumbai, India’s financial powerhouse, has solidified its status as the country’s largest residential market. According to Knight Frank India’s latest report, 2024 saw a surge in both residential sales and office market activity. The festive season further stoked demand while new projects flooded the market, leading to 96,470 new units being introduced — the highest supply in a decade. Developers are keen to capitalize on Mumbai’s robust growth, introducing ambitious projects in peripheral areas like Thane and the Central Suburbs, offering competitive pricing and better amenities. These figures seemingly testify to Mumbai’s undeniable appeal in terms of investment and real estate growth.


Yet, amidst these glimmering numbers, the question arises if Mumbai is a liveable city?


On paper, Mumbai’s bustling real estate market paints a picture of prosperity. The city boasts an ever-growing skyline with sprawling high-rise towers and luxury apartments aimed at accommodating India’s elite. However, for the average middle-class citizen, Mumbai’s vibrancy often comes at a steep price—a price that is far from just monetary.


Pollution, which continues to plague the city, is a pressing issue that overshadows any celebratory development. Despite multiple promises of cleaner air, Mumbai remains one of the most polluted cities in India. The air quality index often plunges to hazardous levels. The city’s residents are forced to breathe toxic air as they navigate through the traffic-choked streets.


While projects like the Mumbai Coastal Road, Metro Line 3, and Mumbai Trans Harbour Link are touted as game-changers, infrastructural woes continue to burden the city’s residents. Heavy rains continue to expose the deep cracks in Mumbai’s infrastructure with flooded roads, waterlogged subways and collapsed buildings a regular occurrence despite substantial investments in modernising infrastructure. Residents continue find themselves trapped in long traffic snarls, their commutes stretched by waterlogged roads, even as the government touts new projects as a means to resolve congestion.


Mumbai’s crumbling infrastructure is not just an inconvenience but a risk to public safety. The constant pressure on the city’s overburdened drainage system during the monsoon leaves thousands of households vulnerable to flooding and the threat of diseases like leptospirosis and dengue.


For a middle-class citizen, purchasing a home in Mumbai, especially with the rising average residential prices, is increasingly akin to signing a long-term contract with uncertainty. The hard-earned savings spent on property are, for many, just a down payment on a dream that may never quite live up to expectations. Despite rising property values, the quality of life in many parts of the city remains far from satisfactory. While Mumbai’s real estate market continues to boom, it seems increasingly tailored to cater to the rich, with the middle class and lower-income groups often left grappling with the realities of overcrowded neighbourhoods, unsafe infrastructure and deteriorating air quality. A city that thrives on commerce and innovation may very well be India’s economic hub, but for the average Mumbaikar, the unfulfilled aspiration remains for a more sustainable and more affordable Mumbai.

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