In a significant political shift, several candidates who faced defeat in recent Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections are now setting their sights on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The upcoming civic polls, happening after an eight-year gap, have become a coveted battleground, attracting even seasoned politicians who lost their bids for state legislature seats.
From Assembly Defeat to Civic Ambition
The trend is prominent, with six candidates who lost the assembly election in either 2019 or 2014 now in the fray for the BMC polls. Furthermore, two individuals from the families of MLAs who lost the recent assembly elections are also testing their political fortunes in the civic arena. Many of these contenders are former corporators who ventured into the 2024 assembly elections unsuccessfully and have now circled back to municipal politics.
Among the notable names is Shiv Sena's Yamini Jadhav. After being defeated from the Byculla constituency in the 2024 assembly election and later losing from the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, Jadhav is now contesting the BMC election from Ward No. 209 in Byculla. Similarly, Praveena Morajkar, who contested and lost from the Kurla assembly constituency on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket, is now her party's candidate from Ward No. 169 in Kurla.
Political Families Enter the Fray
The scramble for BMC tickets has also opened doors for political kin. In two key wards, relatives of defeated candidates are carrying the family banner forward.
Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vinod Ghosalkar, who was defeated in the Dahisar assembly seat in 2024, has now seen his son, Saurabh Ghosalkar, step up. Saurabh is contesting from Ward No. 7 in Dahisar for Shiv Sena (UBT). In another instance, former Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, who faced defeat from the Mahim assembly constituency, is witnessing his daughter, Priya Gurav Sarvankar, contest from Ward No. 191 in Mahim on a Shiv Sena ticket. Adding to the family's political push, Sada Sarvankar's son and former corporator, Samadhan Sarvankar, is fighting the BMC polls from Ward No. 194 in Worli.
High Stakes Drive Ticket Scramble
Political observers attribute this trend to the immense importance of the BMC, which controls a massive budget and plays a pivotal role in Mumbai's politics and economy. The long gap since the last polls and the multi-cornered contest this time have intensified the competition for tickets.
A political observer explained the dynamics: "Since the BMC polls this time are a multi-cornered contest, former MLAs flexed their muscle and used their clout to get tickets. Parties, unable to find formidable candidates easily, opted for former MLAs who have some recall value. With the NCP not in the Mahayuti and the Congress not in the MVA for these polls, as they are fighting alone, there was a major scramble for seats. Senior leaders seized this chance to push for tickets, convincing parties they had no alternative. The parties conceded, preferring not to take risks."
The observer further emphasized the allure of the BMC: "This shows the importance of the BMC polls. Compared to MLAs from the rest of Maharashtra, BMC corporators have a bigger budget and local development funds. So, no one wants to let go of the chance, and even senior leaders don't mind jumping into the fray after losing Lok Sabha and assembly elections."
The entry of these experienced yet recently defeated politicians sets the stage for a highly competitive and closely watched BMC election, highlighting the enduring power and prestige associated with Mumbai's civic body.
