BMC Elections 2026: From Traffic To Hospitals, BJP Leaders Outline North Mumbai Vision Ahead Of Polls

With the long delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections finally approaching in 2026, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from North Mumbai are mounting a coordinated push that frames the civic battle as a choice between legacy politics and governance driven development.

In conversations with BJP MLAs and senior party leaders from Kandivali East, Kandivali West and the wider North Mumbai belt, a common theme runs through their campaign narrative, Mumbai’s civic body must stop functioning like inherited political territory and start operating as a professional institution accountable to citizens.

“BMC Is Not A Family Business”

Kandivali East MLA Atul Bhatalkar set the tone with a blunt political attack, saying that the BMC has long been treated as a family controlled entity rather than a public institution.

“Every election we hear the same stories that Mumbai will be broken up or merged somewhere else. These are scare tactics. People should stop selling lollipops to voters,” Bhatalkar said, dismissing opposition claims around identity and control of the city.

He argued that visible infrastructure projects across Mumbai have created a favourable mood for the BJP led Mahayuti alliance. “People can see the coastal road, metro lines, concrete roads and redevelopment work. Seeing is believing,” he said, adding that voters now want speed and coordination.

Bhatalkar stressed that many civic issues such as pollution, untreated sewage and waste management are legacy problems. “Even today, Mumbai releases untreated water into the sea. This is not new. We are now building six sewage treatment plants which will change this permanently,” he said.

Traffic, Parking And Daily Commute At Core

For residents of North Mumbai, daily commuting remains one of the most pressing concerns. Former North Mumbai BJP president Ganesh Khankar said reducing travel time must be the next big civic goal.

“It takes two to three hours to travel short distances in the suburbs. Our priority is that a person leaving work reaches home within an hour,” Khankar said.

He pointed to the planned extension of the coastal road towards the western suburbs as a game changer. “Connectivity from Bandra to Versova, Charkop and Bhayandar will completely change how North Mumbai functions,” he added.

Khankar also raised serious concerns about the state of municipal hospitals. “Basic facilities like ventilators and specialists are missing in suburban hospitals. In emergencies, people are forced to cross highways to reach better hospitals,” he said, calling healthcare a neglected civic responsibility.

Development Comes With Temporary Discomfort

Kandivali West MLA Yogesh Sagar acknowledged public anger over dug up roads, dust and construction related pollution but described it as the cost of urban progress.

“When development happens, there is pain, but it is the pain of prosperity. The result is always better,” Sagar said.

He outlined priorities for his constituency that include cleanliness, fair water distribution and organised parking systems. On hawkers, he struck a balanced note. “This is a socio economic issue. Hawkers cannot be removed blindly. They need regulation, fixed spaces and security,” he said.

Sagar also addressed identity politics, saying Mumbai belongs to everyone who contributes to it. “I am a Mumbaikar first, a Maharashtrian first. Marathi pride should unite, not divide,” he said.

Vision Of A World Class Mumbai

Former Lok Sabha MP Gopal Shetty placed the BMC elections in a long term national context, saying Mumbai is on track to become one of the world’s finest cities if development momentum continues.

“Within ten to fifteen years, people from other states and countries will come to Mumbai to see its infrastructure,” Shetty said. “The work has already started. The coastal road is visible proof.”

Responding to concerns over pollution and potholes, Shetty said large scale construction inevitably causes disruption. “Either you stop development or you tolerate some inconvenience. There is no third option,” he said.

On Marathi identity, Shetty was emphatic. “Mumbai belongs to the Marathi Manoos, and that will never change. But language should not be used to spread fear,” he said, adding that non Marathi residents must naturally embrace Marathi culture as part of the city’s fabric.

The Triple Engine Argument

All four leaders strongly backed the idea of a triple engine government, with the same alliance at the Centre, the state and the civic body. Bhatalkar summed it up with a metaphor. “The water is already in the tank through the Centre and the state. The BMC is the tap. Once it opens, development will accelerate,” he said.

As Mumbai prepares to return to elected civic governance after years of administrator rule, BJP leaders from North Mumbai are positioning the 2026 BMC elections as a referendum on delivery, infrastructure and accountability, betting that voters will prioritise governance over rhetoric.

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