In a significant move aimed at empowering young political aspirants, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party will reserve forty percent of tickets for candidates below thirty-five years in the upcoming civic polls.
Major Announcement at Youth Connect Event
The declaration came during an interactive session at the 'Youth Connect' event held in Mumbai on Monday, November 24, 2025. Fadnavis stated with absolute certainty that the BJP would implement this youth-focused ticket distribution strategy for the local body elections scheduled to begin in three phases from December 2.
While the formal announcement for polls to twenty-nine municipal corporations, including the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is still pending, the Chief Minister's statement sets a clear direction for his party's candidate selection process.
Addressing Concerns About Political Culture
During his address, Fadnavis expressed concern about criminal elements in politics while acknowledging that the situation reflects broader societal issues. "It somewhere also reflected the society at large," he noted, emphasizing the need to ensure that good people enter politics.
The Chief Minister defended the political system, stating that while some wrong people exist in politics, it would be incorrect to label everyone as criminal and corrupt. He highlighted the central government's record under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that not a single charge of corruption has been leveled against the government in the past eleven years.
Fadnavis contrasted this with the period between 2009 and 2014, when he claimed corruption was the mainstay of the system and India earned a bad reputation internationally.
Infrastructure Development Plans for Mumbai
Earlier in the event, the Chief Minister unveiled ambitious infrastructure plans designed to improve connectivity across Mumbai. The most notable project is the creation of "Paatal Lok" – a network crisscrossing Mumbai that will function as a parallel system alongside existing roads to help decongest the city.
The expansion of the Metro rail network will complement this underground project. Additionally, Fadnavis detailed the coastal road stretching from South Mumbai to Bhayandar, which would provide a hassle-free route to the Western Express Highway.
Nearly sixty percent of Mumbai's traffic currently moves along the Western Express Highway, making decongestion essential for achieving smoother travel at speeds up to eighty kilometers per hour.
Several tunnel projects at Thane-Borivali and Mulund-Goregaon will improve east-west connectivity, while another road connecting Borivali and Goregaon with the Worli-Sewri connector is expected to be completed next year, easing movement between the Atal Setu and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
The announcement represents a strategic push by the BJP to engage younger voters and candidates ahead of crucial municipal elections that will shape urban governance in Maharashtra for the coming years.
