The upcoming municipal corporation elections in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), scheduled for January 15, are set to be a high-stakes affair not just politically but also financially. An analysis of candidate affidavits reveals a significant trend: a substantial number of crorepati candidates are in the fray, with several declaring personal wealth exceeding a staggering Rs 100 crore.
Kalyan-Dombivli: Real Estate Wealth Takes Center Stage
In the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) area, the growing influence of the real estate sector in local politics is unmistakable. Three candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 100 crore, drawing significant public attention. Overall, more than half of the candidates contesting here are crorepatis, with only a handful reporting assets below Rs 1 crore.
The wealthiest candidate in the KDMC polls is Shiv Sena's Ravindra Patil, contesting from Ward No. 29 in Dombivli. He has declared assets valued at Rs 182.56 crore. This marks a near doubling of his declared wealth compared to the 2015 civic elections, where he reported assets close to Rs 95 crore.
Following him is another Shiv Sena candidate, Shalini Sunil Wayle from Ward No. 2 in Kalyan West. She has declared total assets of Rs 140.77 crore. Her wealth, largely comprising ancestral immovable properties, has seen a substantial rise from around Rs 105 crore declared in the previous election cycle. The third prominent figure is Saroj Rai, the wife of businessman and former BJP corporator Manoj Rai, who has declared combined family assets of Rs 122 crore.
Navi Mumbai and Panvel: A Similar Tale of Affluence
The trend of affluent candidates is mirrored in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) area. Here, 226 out of 499 candidates are crorepatis. Topping the list is Congress candidate Santosh Shetty from Nerul, with a declared net worth of Rs 100 crore. Shetty owns a transport business operating 51 school buses.
Shiv Sena's Navi Mumbai chief, Kishore Patkar, who runs a real estate business, revealed assets worth Rs 93 crore. A notable political family, the Gavte family from Digha, has three candidates—Navin, Aparna, and Deepa—in the contest, with a combined declared worth of Rs 306 crore.
Other wealthy contenders in Navi Mumbai include BJP's Ravindra Ithape (Rs 75 crore), Shiv Sena's Namdev Bhagat (Rs 56 crore), Mandakini Mhatre of Shiv Sena (Rs 44 crore), Netra Shirke of BJP (Rs 37 crore), Suresh Shetty of BJP (Rs 25 crore), and M K Madhavi of Shiv Sena (Rs 24 crore).
Panvel's High-Value Political Landscape
The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area is not far behind in this display of financial muscle. Iqbal Kazi, contesting on a BJP ticket, revealed financial assets worth a massive Rs 171 crore. Another BJP candidate, Madhu Patil from Kharghar, declared assets exceeding Rs 140 crore.
Five more BJP candidates from the PCMC region—Chandrakant Soni, Santosh Shetty, Dashrath Mhatre, Mamta Mhatre, and another from Kalamboli—filed financial details showing assets ranging from over Rs 18 crore to Rs 44 crore. Candidates from other parties also reported significant wealth, with PWP's Arvind Mhatre and Dilip Kadam declaring assets worth Rs 37.88 crore and Rs 10.45 crore, respectively.
This widespread prevalence of crorepati candidates across major municipal corporations in the MMR underscores a deepening nexus between significant personal wealth, often linked to sectors like real estate and transport, and electoral politics at the local governance level. It raises pertinent questions about representation and the financial entry barriers in India's democratic processes.
