Mumbai's BMC Polls Return After 4 Years: High Stakes, Complex Alliances, Neglected Issues

• Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are set for January 15 after a nearly four-year delay, marking a major political battle.
• Complex alliances include Shiv Sena (UBT) with MNS and Sharad Pawar's NCP, contesting against Congress and the ruling Mahayuti (BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena).
• The winner will control Mumbai's massive ₹90,000 crore civic budget, making the stakes exceptionally high.
• Campaigns focus on big narratives like "global city," Hindutva, Marathi pride, and freebies, rather than core civic issues.
• Critical issues such as monsoon flooding, potholes, traffic, and poor air quality are largely absent from the election discourse.

Why It Matters: Mumbai's crucial BMC elections are driven by political narratives and alliances, overshadowing core civic problems.