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New Delhi: The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance on Sunday unveiled its manifesto for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, laying out an ambitious roadmap centred on “technology-led governance” and the goal of turning India’s financial capital into a global powerhouse. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis released the document, promising the use of Japanese technology and digital platforms to streamline civic services and bring municipal functions directly to citizens’ mobile phones.
The manifesto also proposes deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to curb corruption and improve service delivery. “The city has seen 25 years of inefficiency in civic governance,” Fadnavis said at the launch, according to PTI. He added that AI laboratories would be set up in all municipal schools as part of a push to modernise education.
A major political plank of the manifesto is the insider–outsider debate and migration. “We will free Mumbai of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas,” Fadnavis said, referring to alleged illegal migration, including from Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim community. “With the help of IIT, we will develop an AI tool to identify Bangladeshi migrants,” he added.
The document, however, does not cite official data on the scale of such migration or its economic and social impact.
Public transport and women’s safety feature prominently. The alliance has promised to double the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) fleet from about 5,000 to 10,000 buses, transition fully to electric vehicles, and introduce a 50 per cent fare concession for women commuters.
On climate resilience, the manifesto outlines a “flood-free Mumbai” plan, claiming inundation can be eliminated within five years. The proposal includes four new underground floodwater tanks, revamping drainage lines, and a Rs 17,000 crore climate action fund focused on a circular economy. IIT experts will also be roped in to study Mumbai’s topography and drainage needs.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasised balancing modernisation with Marathi identity. He announced plans for a cultural department within the BMC, Marathi libraries and cultural centres, and a “Mumbai Fellowship” programme for Marathi youth. School curricula would include Mumbai’s history and the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, he said.
The manifesto also addresses redevelopment, including the Dharavi project, with assurances that micro businesses will be upgraded and even ineligible residents accommodated. Other promises include upgrading civic hospitals to AIIMS standards, resolving tenancy disputes, issuing occupancy certificates to stalled buildings, and redeveloping koliwadas and gaothans to protect the livelihoods of original inhabitants.
