As the clock ticked past 10 PM on a weekday evening, the narrow stretch of Fourth Peerkhan Street in Nagpada was buzzing with anticipation. Residents gathered around plastic chairs, shop shutters were partially closed, and vehicles were shifted to clear a space. The scene was set for a late-night political meeting, a common sight in the heart of Mumbai ahead of crucial civic polls.
Core Concerns and Campaign Promises
The arrival of Waqar Khan, the Congress party's candidate from ward 211, was marked by the crackle of sparklers. Accompanied by Mumbadevi Congress MLA Amin Patel, he addressed a gathering organized by the Nagpada Fruit and Vegetable Association. Khan immediately pinpointed the area's most pressing problems. The two biggest issues are encroachment and the licence department, he stated, emphasizing the need for a representative skilled in navigating the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) bureaucracy.
Outlining his priorities if elected, Khan highlighted the chronic parking shortage. He promised to work towards more organized parking facilities. On education, he vowed to strengthen public schooling in the ward by upgrading BMC-run schools and pushing for more institutions to adopt the CBSE pattern. Addressing the cramped living conditions typical of the area, Khan revealed a plan to create study spaces. We have identified a plot to build a public library where students can come and read, he announced, acknowledging that many children lack a quiet place to study at home.
A Political Apprenticeship and a Unique Legacy
Khan, who recently left the Samajwadi Party (SP) to join Congress just before the elections, then spoke of his political training. For over 15 years, I worked as Shaikh sahab's personal assistant, he said, referring to Rais Shaikh, the SP MLA from Bhiwandi and a former two-term corporator from this very ward. I have taken all my classes, done my practicals by doing your work on the ground. On Jan 15, I will finally get my degree, Khan proclaimed, to cheers from supporters.
This reverent invocation of a rival party leader is no accident. It underscores the distinctive political history of Nagpada. Since the 1992 civic elections, ward 211 has swung only between the Congress and the SP. Rais Shaikh won the last two polls here and remains a hugely influential figure. Farid Khan, a former founding member of the state SP, explained this cross-party appeal. He noted that while it is a north Indian Muslim-majority area, it also has significant populations of Bohris, Christians, and Hindus who traditionally did not vote for SP. In the last two polls, they voted for Shaikh because of his work, he said.
The Battle for a Political Inheritance
Both major parties are now vying for the legacy of the former corporator. When asked if voters might still associate him with the SP, Waqar Khan's response was clear and direct. I am associated with Rais Shaikh. Others may say whatever they want, but I am his one true candidate, he asserted, staking his claim as the legitimate bearer of Shaikh's grassroots work ethic and connection to the people of Nagpada. This statement frames the upcoming election not just as a contest between parties, but as a referendum on who truly represents the area's established model of service.
