Mumbai set for high-stakes battle as campaigning for 29 civic body elections ends

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray at a joint rally in Mumbai on Monday. | Photo Credit: PTI

Campaigning for the January 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra came to a boisterous end on Tuesday, with candidates from various political parties as well as the independent contenders carrying out roadshows and door-to-door meetings.

A lot is at stake in the polls to the five most-coveted civic bodies – Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Thane, Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Nashik Municipal Corporation.

Of the five, the BMC, which is Asia’s richest civic body, is the most prestigious one, where the Baharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti is making a strong pitch to offset the challenge from the once-estranged Thackeray cousins – Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Raj Thackeray – who joined hands after 20 years.

They are banking on the consolidation of Marathi manoos to defeat the BJP, which is banking on a campaign weaved around the majoritarian agenda and development work. The run-up to the election saw the BJP alleging that Mumbai “will have a Muslim mayor if the Sena (UBT) is voted to power”.