Mumbai ka king kaun? BJP seeks to reverse tide in this Sena stronghold

Financial capital of India -- Mumbai -- is braced for a tight contest between the ruling Mahayuti bloc and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Mumbai region has 36 assembly seats between Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts.

Mumbai is a 100 per cent urban region, housing the stock exchanges, headquarters of the biggest banks and BFSI companies. In case of the Mahayuti, half of Ajit Pawar-led NCP's weak seats are in Mumbai, giving the BJP and the Shiv Sena space to compete with the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

In case of the MVA, Sharad Pawar-led NCP has had to cede ground to the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress in Mumbai. In the 2024 polls, the BJP and the Congress are in a direct fight with one another on 7 seats in Mumbai including Colaba and Bandra (West).

The assembly segment is a bastion of the Shiv Sena (UBT) as well as the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, specifically in areas like Dadar, Parel and parts of South and Central Mumbai.  

Of the three direct fights between the Shinde Sena and Sena (UBT) in the Lok Sabha polls 2024, the Uddhav Sena won two and lost the third fight by merely 48 votes.

But can the BJP reverse this trend in elections? For the BJP, however, its focus on infrastructure and progress will help it win in Mumbai. The saffron party can also capitalise on large-scale urban development projects like the Coastal Road Project and the Mumbai Metro expansion.

The impact of Ladki Bahin scheme, however, cannot be ruled out in the metropolis as it also houses one of the world's biggest urban slums -- Dharavi. While both the Shiv Senas appeal to the Marathi population, the BJP can do well to try to appease the non-Marathi population including Gujaratis, North Indians, and South Indians. 

The BJP can also appeal to first-time voters and young voters due to heavy investment in digital campaigns, job creation, tech-driven initiatives and educational opportunities. 

While Shiv Sena also has a Hindutva background, BJP's clear national-level image could attract voters who see it as more stable and ideologically consistent.

Voting for the 288-seat assembly will take place in a single phase on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.